Bicycle patrols keep Huairou streets safe

Riding blue bicycles in uniform, 15 security guards are patrolling the downtown area of Huairou district to improve security for the APEC meeting being held there from Nov 5 through 11.

The bicycle patrol, established in May, is mainly tasked with dealing with emergencies with the aid of the district's police officers, and mediating disputes among local residents, according to the public security bureau.

The team is divided into three groups, and all are required to take video cameras to record any problems during their patrol, said Zhou Lidong, an officer in charge of the team, adding that all the bicycles have LED lights installed for night patrols.

Zhou said the team is to assist with and improve the bureau's security during the APEC meetings, as the number of police officers in the district is limited and would be hard-pressed to cope with such an important international conference.

"Some of my colleagues have been dispatched to the meeting place, so we found 15 security guards to help us tackle our daily work," he said. "The downtown area is not small, which is why we asked them to patrol by bicycle.

"For example, the bike team passed through a community during a patrol and noticed the doors of some units were broken, which they reported to me. I advised them, some other police officers and the community committee to mend the doors, so as to avoid anyone breaking into residents' homes or buildings," he said.

The average age of the security guards is 26, and all have displayed superior performance and physical qualities at their former companies, Zhou said, "so they suit the night patrol and our hard work". The bureau also provided batons for the patrol.

As a police officer for almost 30 years, Zhou has guarded for the National Day parade in 2009 and the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, but he said he is most proud of his work for this event.

"In the past, police officers in our district were only an auxiliary force, because those large events were held in the capital's central areas. But now, when the APEC meeting is in our district, we take the leading role," he said, with a proud smile.

"I did much research before I organized the bicycle team, listening to lots of opinions from residents and calling for them to join us to ensure our living areas are much safer," Zhou said, adding that contributions from all walks of life are key to boosting the security of the meeting.

Since the district started preparations to host the meeting, including establishing the bicycle patrol team, the number of cases reported to the local police station has decreased by 83 percent, Zhou said.

After the bike team increased inspections in the district's Xinxin community, where burglaries were common in July, no further cases have been reported, he added.

A resident of the district's Huguang community surnamed Wang, said she has a greater sense of security since the bicycle team began patrolling at night.

"I can also tell them of my troubles in my daily life, and ask them to transmit my worries to the public security bureau," she said.

The bureau said it has not considered adding more security guards to expand the bicycle patrol, but plans to keep the patrols in place after the APEC meeting ends.