Foreigners visit Beijing's police station

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 ◆ Foreigners visit Beijing's police station

I feel secure and at ease living in Beijing as I feel an affinity with its police force and am impressed by its administrative transparency, Georgeon Phillips, an American lawyer said when he visited a branch of Beijing Public Security Bureau.

The Beijing Public Security Bureau Sunday invited citizens and foreigners to inspect its grass-roots branches in an attempt to make Beijingers better understand their work procedures and content.

About a dozen foreigners paid a visit to Yutan police substation in Xicheng District Sunday morning, the first time in 54 years foreign guests have looked through the city's police station.

The visiting foreigners were permitted to walk around the official business section, the holding section, gymnasium and even the command office.

They were able to see for themselves how Chinese police crackdown on crime via a wireless network and how China is enhancing its police power by using high-tech methods.

Jim Secreto, an English teacher in Beijing Foreign Affairs College said the level of modernization of the Chinese police forces was beyond his expectations. He had previously known little about the Chinese police but after the visit he had a clear picture of their day-to-day work.

Adam Murray, another foreign teacher from the Beijing Foreign Affairs College said "I saw a very harmonious relationship between police and locals during today's visit. In addition, the maintenance of the city's security is very effective. Beijing is definitely a safe place to live in."

Bilingual policemen will soon be able to act as tour guides for foreigners.

Beijing policemen are now required to learn the basics of four foreign languages, English, Japanese, Russian and Arabic in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Already some have a good grasp of English.