Crackdown aims to protect public safety

Following attack in Tangshan, security organs seek to maintain social stability

The Ministry of Public Security has launched a 100-day campaign to crack down on major crimes and reduce security risks this summer in a bid to maintain social stability and ensure people's safety.

The move to improve public security is being made to meet the needs of the people, the ministry said at a meeting held on Saturday to deploy the nationwide campaign, requiring police across the country to tackle crimes that people have strongly complained about to make them feel more secure.

The ministry urged public security organs to launch fast, targeted and severe crackdowns on crimes that infringe on the rights and interests of women, children, the elderly, the disabled, and primary and secondary school students.

The ongoing crackdown on gang-related crimes should be further strengthened, and "zero tolerance "should be maintained for such crimes, it said, adding that officials who shelter gangs should be severely punished.

Efforts should be made to discover and mediate conflicts and disputes to resolve problems at an early stage and to better deal with complaints from the public, the ministry said.

Public security organs should maximize police presence on the streets or in communities and mobilize mass organizations to enhance the capacity for public security, it said.

They should strengthen night patrols in key places with security risks over the summer, and strengthen the management and control of explosive materials to eliminate potential safety hazards, it added.

The ministry said front-line police should be guided to form good working habits to improve the quality and credibility of law enforcement, and to ensure enforcement is carried out in an effective and pragmatic way, taking into consideration all factors involved.

On Saturday afternoon, the Hebei Provincial Department of Public Security held a video conference for public security organs across the province, and called for comprehensive deployment on carrying out the 100-day campaign launched by the ministry.

It's necessary to keep a close eye on organized crime that disrupts the functioning of society and the economic order, criminal acts including mob fighting, illegal trading and detention, forced prostitution and gambling dens, as well as crimes that infringe on the rights and interests of minors, women and the elderly, the department said.

After the nationwide and provincial deployment meetings, the Tangshan public security bureau in Hebei said in a statement on Sunday that the city launched its campaign immediately.

The bureau will work closely with relevant departments to crack down on various crimes, resolve all kinds of security risks and resolutely safeguard social peace and stability, it said.

On June 10, a video of the beating of women by several men at a barbecue restaurant in Tangshan went viral online and provoked public outrage across the nation.