Policeman dies while serving community

During the COVID-19 outbreak in Tianjin earlier this year, Qiao Liang, an officer at the Ruijing police station, which belongs to the city's Beichen branch, continued to work alongside community staff and volunteers in the fight against the epidemic.

After working overtime for many days in a row, the 54-year-old suffered a heart attack on Feb 4. Although he was rushed to the emergency ward, he died after treatment failed.

While involved in epidemic prevention and control, Qiao barely had the chance to have dinner with his family. "He either didn't come home for several days or it was after midnight when he did," said his wife, Zhang Cai.

Qiao told his wife that he would come home for dinner on Feb 5, the fifth day of China's lunar new year, and a time when most families were celebrating the Spring Festival. Zhang was pleased by the news and began to make preparations with her son the day before, thinking that the family would finally have the chance to eat together during the Spring Festival.

She received the sad news on the night of Feb 4, while preparing for the dinner.

Zhang knew that her husband was exhausted and gave all his passion and energy to his beloved career in the police. Qiao was so popular with the public, that many people in the community mourned him on social media and called Zhang to express their condolences.

Qiao became a police officer 37 years ago and worked in a number of different stations. He always upheld the oath he made when becoming an officer — to serve the people wholeheartedly.

In 2017, a market under his jurisdiction was plagued by pickpocketing. To solve the problem, Qiao moved into a small office near the market for several weeks to observe the situation, and find a solution. He would patrol the market from the moment it opened early each morning.

Later, Qiao formed a team to patrol the market and maintain order, and bought several horns to alert the public to the presence of a thief. Pickpockets were deterred and the number of crimes dropped significantly.

Wang Yu, a colleague, said that he had learned a lot from Qiao, and his optimistic attitude toward life always energized those around him.

"No matter how busy or tired he was, he always looked cheerful. Sometimes, when I was under pressure at work, I talked to Qiao, which always made me feel happier," Wang said.