Police actions to face more scrutiny

Minister vows more transparency, training for officers

China's public security authorities have vowed to step up training efforts to regulate police law enforcement activities across the country.

Public security departments at all levels should further promote reforms to the management system for police officers and refine the implementation of the previously issued guidelines, said Guo Shengkun, the State Councilor and Minister of Public Security, as he addressed a meeting of heads of public security departments on Saturday in Beijing.

The minister also vowed to strictly establish an evaluation system for law enforcement activities as well as an accountability system for those who commit misconduct.

The training to correct irregularities in law enforcement for police in China will be fully strengthened, said Guo.

A guideline jointly issued by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council in September 2016 urges police authorities at all levels to establish an effective system for the whole process of law enforcement, where video and audio recordings are encouraged, read the notice.

The public are also allowed to take videos or pictures of police law enforcement action so long as they stand further than 1.5 meters away, do not cross any police safety perimeter or interfere in the operation, according to a 70-minute video displayed during a training session held by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) for police officers on Monday, the People's Daily reported.

Video training and sessions have been more frequently held to regulate police enforcement activities since 2016, said a local police officer surnamed Li from Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Recording police operations can effectively protect the officers during difficult situations and also supervise the law enforcement process, Li noted.

According to an MPS statement, there are concerns that some police officers lack sufficient legal awareness, the Xinhua News Agency reported on September 27, 2016.

"Injustice and indecency" occur from time to time, causing strong resentment among the public, the statement said.

Regarding supervision, the guideline ordered heightened accountability, saying that police officers will be held accountable throughout their life for cases they handle.

Public security authorities should also use the law enforcement information network so that all cases can be tracked and reviewed, according to the guideline.

The death of a young father, Lei Yang, while he was being detained during a raid on a Beijing foot massage parlor in May 2016 triggered a public outcry and raised suspicions of police brutality and abuse of official power.

In another high-profile case, a lawful police shooting at a railway station in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province was distorted as a murder conspiracy after police officer Li Lebin shot dead Xu Chunhe in May 2015 at Qing'an railway station in Heilongjiang Province.

Xu attacked Li several times and was shot after multiple warnings.