The First Police Day Widely Celebrated in China

Zhang Minjiao

January 10 this year was the first Chinese Peoples Police Day. Public security organizations across the country celebrated the occasion in varying forms： flag-raising ceremonies， police camp open house days， and the “Reporting to the People” programs， so as to show developments and achievements in public security， and to enhance the sense of professional honor， pride and belonging of the police team.

In the early morning， the Ministry of Public Security held a grand flag-raising ceremony attended by more than 300 representatives from public security organizations， who renewed their police vows， sang police anthems， and solemnly saluted the police flag. The Ministry also held a live streamed conference， initiated a role model publicity event， and exhibited security-themed paintings， movies， and musicals.

If you are in trouble， seek help from a cop. At 3：15 a.m. on January 10， 1986， the first emergency call in modern China rang in Guangzhou. Today， there are nearly 300000 calls to “110” every day. They are a symbol of trust and expectations for timely responses from the police. Over the past 35 years， these three numbers have linked the people to the police， carrying the promise of whole-hearted service to the people.

On the occasion of the first Chinese Peoples Police Day， the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee showcased the exemplary deeds of the “Zhangzhou 110” in Fujian Province and awarded them “Role Model of the Times.” The “Zhangzhou 110，” officially known as the Patrol SWAT of Zhangzhou Public Security Bureau， was among the first in China to establish an emergency call service and rapid response mechanism as early as 1990. The system integrated three functions： combating crime， maintaining public order and serving the public. Their performance has won the affirmation of the local government and the trust of the people， as epitomized in the local variation of the idiom “A close neighbor is better than a faraway relative”—those in Zhangzhou say that “110 is even better than a close neighbor.” Thus， the “Zhangzhou 110” has been publicized as a national model. Since the new era calls for further reform on policing and upgraded 110 services， it is imperative to establish a more effective 110 network in both urban and rural areas， thereby enhancing the overall efficiency in combating crime， constructing grassroots governance systems and giving the public a stronger sense of happiness and security.

Loyal to their duties， public security organizations at different levels held colorful celebrations to express the mutual trust and support between police and people， which is the key to securing peace in a community. By holding flag-raising ceremonies， renewing their police vows and awarding role models， the Beijing Public Security Bureau reminded its staff of their initial motivations as police officers. They also carried out the “110 Publicity Day” live stream to promise the public that the 110 team will strive to be “the people's guardian angels.” The Tianjin Public Security Department organized the “Tianjin， Second to None" emergency police command drill competition， 110 police skills tournament， “Loving People Experimental Service Week，” the “Reporting to the Public” community police program and other activities to improve combat skills and better protect the public.

Public security organs in Shanghai， Zhejiang and other places held an online Police Camp Open House and public security-themed light shows to exhibit the development of public security through modern technology. Local celebrations varied with different types of police： on-the-water equipment parade， dog performances， and motorcycle skills， eliciting understanding and support from society.

The advent of the first Police Day was an exciting event for police in Hubei Province who had just succeeded in combating COVID-19. With the countdown to Chinese Peoples Police Day， and the “My Police Force， My Home” Hubei police force “family” photo， Hubei police marked the holiday in their own way. Meanwhile， police in Shijiazhuang， Hebei province gave up their break to combat COVID-19 with an iron will to mark their own festival. In Heihe of Heilongjiang province， Shenyang and Dalian of Liaoning province and other places， public security bureaus and police have been continuously fighting at the forefront of pandemic control， making the first Chinese Peoples Police Day all the more relevant.

The Guangdong Public Security Department held an opening ceremony to the first police-themed creative works exhibition titled “Saluting the Protectors of Peace，” as well as diverse and multimedia works to bring the image of the police into the new age. The Hainan Public Security Department held the first “110 Publicity Day，” as well as the “crack more cases” legal publicity week to demonstrate the achievements of “Hainan 110.” The Yunnan Public Security Department held a “Reporting to the People” program in which public security bureau chiefs from all autonomous prefectures and cities in Yunnan Province presented their work highlights and publicly released their performance records to promote a new image for the Yunnan Public Security Department. The Xinjiang Public Security Department， under the practice of “millions of police entering tens of millions of homes，” organized police to listen to feedback， gather public opinions， investigate peoples conditions， eliminate peoples worries， and solve peoples problems to celebrate Chinese National Police Day with all ethnic groups. Railway， civil aviation， anti-smuggling and other public security organizations， together with the National Immigration Administration also launched a series of activities to mark the first Chinese Peoples Police Day， creating an opportunity for public security team building， as well as a positive atmosphere for society to understand and support public security work.

（Translated by Ma Qingyun）