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People's Police (China)

Civil police force of the People's Republic of China From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

People's Police (China)
Not to be confused with the People's Armed Police, a paramilitary organization which reports to the Central Military Commission.

The People's Police (Chinese: 人民警察; pinyin: Rénmín Jǐngchá) is the national civilian police force of the People's Republic of China.[1]: 120 

Quick Facts People's Police of China中国人民警察 Zhōngguó Rénmín Jǐngchá, Common name ...
People's Police of China
中国人民警察
Zhōngguó Rénmín Jǐngchá
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Badge of the People's Police (since 1983)
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Flag of the People's Police (since 2020)
Common namePeople's Police (人民警察)
Abbreviation民警; Mínjǐng; 'People's Police'
Motto"对党忠诚， 服务人民， 执法公正， 纪律严明"
("Be loyal to the party, serve the people, be impartial in law enforcement, and strict in discipline")
Agency overview
Formed19 October 1949
Employees1.8–1.9 million
Annual budget$110 billion (est. 2019)
Jurisdictional structure
National agency
(Operations jurisdiction)		People's Republic of China
Operations jurisdictionPeople's Republic of China
Legal jurisdiction People's Republic of China
Primary governing bodyCentral Committee of the Chinese Communist Party
Secondary governing bodyCentral Political and Legal Affairs Commission
Constituting instrument
  • People's Police Law of the People's Republic of China
General nature
Operational structure
Overseen byNational Supervisory Commission
HeadquartersBeijing
Official responsible
Agency executives
Parent agencyMinistry of Public Security
Ministry of State Security
Ministry of Justice
Supreme People's Court
Supreme People's Procuratorate
Facilities
Stations5,000 (est.)
Notables
Anniversary
  • 10 January (People's Police Day)
Website
MPS: www.mps.gov.cn
MSS: www.12339.gov.cn
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Roles

Police in China have a variety of roles in addition to enforcing the law.

They are also responsible for the maintenance of social stability (维护社会稳定; Wéihù Shèhùi Wěndìng), and in this sense perform not just a law enforcement function but a political function as well. The majority of national police forces are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

Over the years, the power of the police has gradually been expanded to border control, under the auspices of the China Immigration Inspection (CII), household registration, issuance of the National ID card (see: Resident Identity Card) and cybersecurity (under the 11th Bureau of the MPS), network security and website registration.[2]

Title

Summarize
Perspective

In mainland China, People's Police refers to the identity of law enforcement officers,[3] while Public Security or the police denotes a specific government agency, namely the public security organ.[4] Although prison police, judicial police, and other such units also fall under the police system, due to the special nature of their work, they are generally not referred to as the police.

Before the turn of the 21st century, public security officers often used Public Security as their designation and term of address, rather than the broader term the police. Additionally, public security officers, who handle the majority of public order and criminal cases, are the most frequently encountered police force by the public. These factors have led some people, especially those in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities, to inaccurately refer to mainland China's police officers as Public Security.[5]

The uniforms and vehicle liveries of the People's Police generally maintain a consistent style, with their primary distinctions being the inscriptions indicating the departments to which various police forces belong, namely Public Security, Justice, State Security, Court, and Procuratorate.

History

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Perspective

Founded in October 1949 with the inception of the People's Republic of China, and controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), China's major national police force operates under the Ministry of Public Security (MPS).[6]

The influence of the Soviet Union was paramount in the early years of the People's Republic, and guided the Chinese approach to policing.

During the Cultural Revolution (1966–76), the powers of the police were both strengthened and weakened; on the one hand, they were given control over much of the judicial system, since People's Courts and People's Procuratorates basically collapsed, meaning that local directors of public security bureaus could easily arrest and convict almost any person they chose; on the other hand, the top leadership of the police was almost totally purged and persecuted, and political commissars from the PLA (most of them hand-picked by the Cultural Revolution Group) were brought in to take control over the largest and most important public security bureaus, including those of Beijing and Shanghai.[6]

The current structure and mission of the People's Police was formalized in the People's Police Law of the People's Republic of China (February 1995), which states:

Tasks of the People's Police are to safeguard state security, maintain public order, protect citizens' personal safety and freedom and their legal property, protect public property, and prevent, stop and punish illegal and criminal activities. The People's Police consist of policemen working in public security organs, state security organs, prisons and organs in charge of reeducation through labor, as well as judicial policemen working in the People's Courts and the People's Procuratorates.[7]

Branches

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According to the People's Police Law of the People's Republic of China (1995), the People's Police comprises five components:[1][8]

Public Security Police

The Public Security Police handle routine law enforcement tasks such as maintaining public order, conducting criminal investigations, and managing border control. This constitutes the majority of China's police force and falls under the jurisdiction of the MPS.[9] The responsibilities of different public security organ departments are clearly outlined. These departments include:[10]

  • Political Security (1st Bureau of the MPS): Responsible for maintaining social and political stability, upholding the political principles established by the Constitution, and handling cases that undermine national and cultural unity (with some tasks falling under the 4th Bureau, specifically those having to do with investigating religious activities and cults)
  • Economic Crime Investigations (2nd Bureau of the MPS)
  • Public Order Management (3rd Bureau of the MPS): Responsible for preventing, detecting and stopping illegal crimes and violent behaviour, handling mass incidents such as assemblies, demonstrations and maintaining order in public places, managing special industries and dangerous goods, and handling public security administrative law enforcement cases
  • Criminal Investigations (5th Bureau of the MPS)
  • Food and Forestry (7th Bureau of the MPS): Responsible for issues of food, the ecological environment, forest and grassland, and biological safety cases
  • Railway (10th Bureau of the MPS)
  • Special Service (8th Bureau of the MPS): Responsible for the security tasks of Communist Party and State leaders, major provincial leaders and important visiting foreign guests
  • Anti-Narcotics (21st Bureau of the MPS)
  • Public Information Network Security (11th Bureau of the MPS): Responsible for monitoring the contents of public Internet websites, e-mails, chat messages and visitation records
  • Detention Center Management (13th Bureau of the MPS): Oversees the administration of detention centers and Qincheng Prison (note that all other prisons instead fall under the MOJ, which has its own, different, Prison Police)
  • Customs Anti-Smuggling (14th Bureau of the MPS): Responsible for handling customs smuggling cases, in collaboration with the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of the General Administration of Customs
  • China Air Marshal [zh] (15th Bureau of the MPS): Responsible for handling administrative law enforcement cases in the air and at airports, maintaining civil aviation flight safety and handling hijacking and other sudden air security situations, in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Administration of China[11]
  • Traffic Management (17th Bureau of the MPS)
  • Foreign Affairs (19th Bureau of the MPS): Responsible for the security of foreign embassies in China and for liaison work in Chinese embassies and consulates abroad
  • Household Registration: Responsible for maintaining household registration and administering the Hukou system
  • Immigration or Border Inspection: Operating as CII (itself a child agency of the MPS)
  • Others such as patrol units, port units, tactical units, and aviation units.
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Shanghai PSB Ford Transit Pro police van

State Security Police

The State Security Police are responsible for intelligence collection and analysis, counter-espionage, political security, and also partially participate in domestic security affairs.

These officers operate under the MSS. They generally perform secret police duties and help maintain social stability and preserve the power of the ruling Chinese Communist Party.

They should not be confused with the 1st Bureau of the MPS (described above in the Public Security Police section), despite sometimes similar duties and overlapping missions.

Judicial Administrative Police

The Judicial Administrative Police consists mainly of police officers stationed in prisons and drug rehabilitation centers.

Prison Police oversee prison security, carry out prison guard duties, and aid in prison administration, similar to correctional officers in other nations.

Drug Rehabilitation Police handle the enforcement of isolation and drug rehabilitation efforts for drug addicts, along with corrective measures for minor offenders.

They should not be confused with the judicial police of the courts and procuratorates.

Court Judicial Police

The Court Judicial Police are responsible for the security of People's Courts at the provincial, municipal and township levels. They belong to the judicial system and maintain order and security in courthouses and assist judges in judicial investigations.

Procuratorate Judicial Police

The Procuratorate Judicial Police are responsible for the security of People's Procuratorates at the provincial, municipal and township levels. They belong to the judicial system and maintain order and security in procuratorates and assist public procurators in judicial investigations.

Ranks

The rank system of the People's Police is as follows:[12][13]

More information Insignia, Rank (Chinese) ...
Insignia

Rank (Chinese) 总警监
(zǒng jǐngjiān)		 副总警监
(fù zǒng jǐngjiān)		 一级警监
(yījí jǐngjiān)		 二级警监
(èrjí jǐngjiān)		 三级警监
(sānjí jǐngjiān)		 一级警督
(yījí jǐngdū)		 二级警督
(èrjí jǐngdū)		 三级警督
(sānjí jǐngdū)		 一级警司
(yījí jǐngsī)		 二级警司
(èrjí jǐngsī)		 三级警司
(sānjí jǐngsī)		 一级警员
(yījí jǐngyuán)		 二级警员
(èrjí jǐngyuán)		 见习警员
(jiànxí jǐngyuán)		 学员
(xuéyuán)
English language equivalent Commissioner General Deputy Commissioner General Commissioner First Class Commissioner Second Class Commissioner Third Class Supervisor First Class Supervisor Second Class Supervisor Third Class Superintendent First Class Superintendent Second Class Superintendent Third Class Constable First Class Constable Second Class Probationary Constable Cadet
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Auxiliary Police

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Perspective

Ministry of Public Security Auxiliary Personnel [zh] (公安机关警务辅助人员), better known as Auxiliary Police (辅警) are often hired by local public security bureaus. According to the Guangdong provincial government's 2016 "Law on the management of Ministry of Public Security Auxiliary Personnel", article 5 states that they are not part of the People's Police (Meaning they are not Sworn officers) but are instead managed by People's Police personnel.[14]

Article 8 states that Auxiliary Duty Officers have the following duties:[14]

  1. Assisting in preventing and stopping crime
  2. Assisting in patrols
  3. Assisting in apprehension, investigation, monitoring and guarding suspects
  4. Assisting protecting order at crime scenes along with evidence and rescuing casualties
  5. Assisting in traffic enforcement and conflict negotiation
  6. Assisting in monitoring drug rehabilitation and confiscation of narcotics
  7. Assisting in protecting jails
  8. Participating in firefighting
  9. Assisting in public relations and promotion of road safety and anti-drug campaigns
  10. Assisting in Police interviews
  11. Driving People's police automobiles, motorcycles, vessels and aircraft
  12. Other duties done by Auxiliary Duty Officers

Article 9 states that Auxiliary Civilian Employees have the following duties:[14]

  1. Organization of documents and files, receiving phone calls and other requests
  2. Psychological counseling, website management, data analysis, safety tests, communications maintenance, financial analysis, non-confidential financial management and lab tests.
  3. Management and repairing police equipment
  4. Other duties done by auxiliary civilian employees

Article 10 states that Auxiliary Police are prohibited from the following duties:[14]

  1. Work related to national security, technical reconnaissance, Anti-Cult and anti-terrorism
  2. Work related to confidential information
  3. Management of evidence reports and traffic accident responsibility
  4. Conducting correctional duties
  5. Executive duties
  6. Reviewing cases
  7. Owning or using firearms or police equipment
  8. Enforcing the law on their own
  9. Other duties legally assigned to the People's Police

The following are not allowed to be auxiliary police, per article 17:[14]

  1. People with a criminal record are of suspected of committed a crime who has not yet been declared innocent or guilty
  2. People who have been placed in jail, juvenile detention, prostitution rehabilitation or with a history of taking drugs
  3. People fired by the Ministry of State Security or their government agency
  4. People whose labor contract terminated due to violating law enforcement related guidlines
  5. People with extremely bad credit history
  6. Other criteria which would prohibit someone from police work

Auxiliary officer ranks

The ranks of auxiliary officers are as follows:[15][16]

More information Insignia, Rank (Chinese) ...
Insignia
Rank (Chinese) 一级辅警长 二级辅警长 三级辅警长 一级辅员 二级辅员 三级辅员 实习辅警
Rank (English) Auxiliary Sergeant First Class Auxiliary Sergeant Second Class Auxiliary Sergeant Third Class Auxiliary Officer First Class Auxiliary Officer Second Class Auxiliary Officer Third Class Probationary Auxiliary Officer
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See also

References

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