Society

Police chiefs go back to school

By Wang Huazhong (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-23 08:53

BEIJING - Nearly 500 municipal police chiefs from across China are undergoing training to bolster their ability to maintain social order.

The 10-day training program for 472 municipal police chiefs, which started on Saturday in the Beijing-based Chinese People's Public Security University, is designed to supplement a similar course that was held last year for 3,000 directors of county- level police bureaus, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Meng Jianzhu, minister of public security

While the content of the course remains unknown, the focus last year was on dealing with social unrest and working with the media.

The Beijing-based Legal Daily reported the trainees will study a range of examples where there was a need to maintain social order, from the 2008 Olympic Games and the celebrations that marked the 60th anniversary of the founding of the New China, to the riots that took place in Tibet and Xinjiang over the past two years.

Municipal police directors are expected to be put through their paces during upcoming events, including the Shanghai Expo and the Asian Games in Guangzhou.

Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu told the course participants that "a new context and mission" had raised new requirements and challenges for police work.

He defined the "new context" as the developmental stage China is currently experiencing in its economic and social structures, which requires corresponding adjustments

For their mission of maintaining social order, Meng encouraged the trainees to serve as positive role models who embody the wisdom and vision of scholars and generals, as well as the courage and resolution of warriors.