Focus
Schools fortify security after attacks
By Zhang Yan (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-05-11 07:55
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Beijing has strengthened school security by providing more protective devices, including teargas sprayers, rubber batons, handcuffs and knife-resistant gloves. [Photos by Wang Jing / China Daily] |
Beijing has tightened school security by providing more protective equipment and beefing up police presence after a series of violent attacks against schoolchildren elsewhere in China. In Xicheng district alone, guards in its 112 kindergartens and schools have been equipped with 200 police steel forks to prevent stabbing incidents.
"In the kindergartens and junior middle schools where there was violence, the school guards didn't have any security devices to repel the attackers, so it's necessary to take concrete measures for strengthening security in kindergartens and schools," Wang Hui, vice-director of the internal security department of the Xicheng police bureau, told METRO last week.
Besides the long steel forks, the security devices also include teargas and knife-resistant gloves, Wang said.
"The stainless steel fork is used to defend from an attack or extend the time to control the criminals until police arrive," Wang said.
Wang said the teargas sprayers are filled with a spicy liquor which, when applied creates a burning sensation in the targets' eyes.
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"If the criminals try to cut the hands of guards who are wearing the knife-resistant gloves several times, the gloves remain unbroken," Wang said.
Each primary school in Xicheng district is equipped with two forks, and each kindergarten or senior middle school is allocated one such device, Wang said.
Each kindergarten and school has also been equipped with one pair of knife-resistant gloves and one teargas sprayer.
All the security devices are kept by the duty officer in each facility.
"If school officials encounter emergencies, the guards can immediately access these devices," she said.
Although the city has promised the same level of protection at all schools, some private schools have been forced to acquire the security devices by themselves, instead of waiting for the delivery of free ones from the government.
A man surnamed Xiao, president of the private New Hope Experimental School in Haidian district, said his school ordered six long steel forks at 120 yuan each after seeing pictures of the devices in local newspapers.
Xiao said his school has also bought rubber batons, which were "difficult to find."
"We finally went to Muxiyuan area to buy them at 30 yuan apiece."
Moreover, 74 surveillance videos have also been set up in front of 52 school gates in Xicheng district, and those monitoring systems have been linked to 110 police command platforms. The 60 kindergartens and schools that have yet to be connected will have installed the surveillance videos by June, officials said.
"Then, all the monitor images will be available to the police," she said.
Heavy police presence
Meanwhile, 6,000 to 7,000 armed police and SWAT forces have been deployed at the gates of city kindergartens and schools during opening hours and pupil pickup times. At least one police officer is to be stationed at each school to deter attacks, officials said.
Regular police patrol officers are equipped with an automatic rifle, police knife, multifunctional belt, handcuffs, stab-resistant clothing, baton and radio, said Wang Wenjie, press officer from the Beijing municipal public security bureau.
Armed SWAT officers must wear anti-explosive suits and helmets and hold 18.4 mm 97-2 or QBZ-95 automatic assault rifles, along with radios, Xu Hankun, the press officer from the SWAT corps told METRO last week.
"The armed SWAT officer holding the anti-riot gun will walk the grounds or patrol in vehicles around the facilities, then timely detect and handle any emergency situations," he said.
Gatekeepers at public schools are required 24 hours per day. School visitors must register using their real names and be accompanied by teachers under a recent policy edict by the municipality.
On Tuesday, Fu Zhenhua, head of Beijing municipal public security bureau, visited Huaiboshu kindergarten and Beijing No 8 Middle School, both in Xicheng district, to check the protective equipment used by guards.
"We must implement the security measures to ensure the city's 1.41 million minors are safe in their schools and kindergartens," Fu said.
