Life guardians around us

Police officers work at a 110 dispatch center in Futian District Public Security Sub-bureau. Photos courtesy of Futian police authorities

A police officer explains to a man how to use the one-click device for emergency help.

THE number 110, known among households as the emergency number for the police, helps bridge communication between the police and the general public. No matter what time of day it is, someone will always answer the call and be ready to address issues and save people from danger.

Wednesday was the fourth Chinese People’s Police Day, and 38th National 110 Publicity Day.

A lifeline guardian

Quick response and detailed service are basic requirements for 110 dispatchers.

Liu Guofang, a police officer who has been in the line of work for over two decades, handles various information every day. She has to sort them out according to severity and urgency, and dispatch tasks to related departments and officers in charge.

“This may be an ordinary job, but it plays an important role in our immense information network. As we handle phone calls, we need to identify the severity of the situation and respond as quickly as we can,” Liu said in an interview.

In November last year, a resident surnamed Yu accompanied another resident surnamed Yang, 80, for a walk near the Xiangmi Park in Futian District. However, Yang, who walked behind her and suffers from Alzheimer’s, went missing.

Yu immediately called 110. After receiving the task from 110, Luo Xiangrong, a police officer from Xiangmihu Police Station, immediately arrived at the scene. A joint search involving a number of police officers on motorcycles was launched. After two hours, Yang was found on a nearby road.

Joint mechanism

110 and 12345 are the two busiest hotlines in Shenzhen. 110 serves as an important channel for seeking help when residents encounter danger and other emergency situations. It can be called in the event of criminal cases, public security incidents, or when there are events that endanger personal and property safety and social order. For nonemergency assistance, such as payroll, emotional, marriage, consumer and leasing disputes, residents can call 12345, the government service hotline, to seek assistance.

Currently, Futian police have established an efficient joint mechanism with 12345 to forward public complaints based on divisions of responsibilities.

Meng Linghui, a police officer at Fubao Police Station in Futian District, once received a complaint over property dispute from a woman surnamed Peng, who refused to move out after her apartment was sold by her husband. The buyer called for help as he couldn’t move in although he had paid all the money.

Meng started an investigation, and found out Peng and her husband had a divorce dispute over the apartment. Peng was not satisfied with the share she got after the apartment was sold and refused to move out.

Meng contacted the subdistrict’s social workstation and judicial office, and helped arrange a meeting for Peng and the buyer. The dispute was solved in a week.

“After we receive a report, whether it is related to police matters or not, we will follow up and give an answer or a solution,” Meng said.

Upgraded service

If people lost their phones and encounter an emergency, they could also call the police through a one-click SOS device to ask for help. As of now, Futian District Public Security Sub-bureau has deployed 140 one-click devices in key areas such as checkpoints, railway stations, night markets, and bustling commercial areas throughout the district, and they are now fully operational. Through this system, the police can accurately determine the location of the person seeking help and swiftly mobilize the emergency response units. This initiative has effectively made up for the potential shortcomings of traditional 110 phone calls, such as unclear verbal expression or incomplete information transmission.

The number 110 is an important hotline for seeking assistance in critical situations and is usually dialed by citizens in need.

To actively find and solve problems, Futian police piloted a mechanism of combining video patrol and 110 dispatching at Huaqiangbei Police Station last year.

On Nov. 11 last year, a patrol team found three children playing unattended at the bank of the Futian River in the Central Park. They immediately reported the situation to the 110 command center, and officers were dispatched to the site and helped contact the children’s parents. (Shenzhen Daily)