FBIS3-26220 "drchi024_k_94019"
FBIS-CHI-94-024 Document Type:Daily Report 4 Feb 1994
NATIONAL AFFAIRS Political & Social

Security Minister: 275 Police Killed in 1993

HK0302082494 Beijing CHINA DAILY in English 2 Feb 94 p 3 HK0302082494 Beijing CHINA DAILY Language: English Article Type:BFN [By Ma Chenguang: "Police Death Toll Hits 275"] [Text] Officials announced yesterday that 275 police officers were killed and more than 8,120 sustained injuries on duty last year. This testified to the heroism of the public security forces which safeguard people's lives and economic progress, Public Security Minister Tao Siju said. Currently, China's police force has about one million officers. More than 1,400 on duty police officers were killed and nearly 40,000 others received injuries since 1988, the minister said. Analysts say that Chinese police now face more risks because criminals have started to arm themselves with weapons to resist police arrests, giving rise to armed clashes and casualties. Statistics from the Public Security Ministry show that during the first 11 months last year, cases of armed violence rose 52.6 per cent over the same period in 1992. Police handled more than 1.5 million criminal cases and arrested more than 1 million offenders for all 1993. They also helped combat 146 major fires that burnt factories, commercial buildings, entertainment centres and oil storage tanks in Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai and other cities. Tao spoke at the third-annual ceremony held by his ministry yesterday honouring the nation's 100 best public security bureaus and 1,000 outstanding police officers. It hopes to encourage Chinese police to further safeguard lives and promote economic progress, reforms and opening-up. While praising these branch bureaus and policemen for their achievements, Tao also outlined four major tasks facing police this year: protecting political and social stability, severely cracking down on criminal offenders, wiping out social evils and expanding police teams. At the ceremony, the honoured branch bureaus and policemen received cash awards in addition to written citations. Each of the 100 best bureaus was awarded 10,000 yuan ($1,150). While 22 of them, those receiving the honour for the third time, received 20,000 yuan ($2,300) each.