Police in Central China's Hunan province is banned from participating in land expropriation and housing demolitions, to prevent possible power abuse, Xiaoxiang Morning Herald reported Tuesday.

Li Jiang, police chief of Hunan province, urged maintaining the momentum to crack down on illegal activities and settling conflicts as the province busted 320 organized crime groups in 2010, an increase of 7 percent from 2009.

Li also called on the police to respect human rights, and ensure that pursuing efficiency in the process will not jeopardize the goal of justice.

Land expropriation and forced demolitions have become big causes of social unrest in China, and in some cases police were blamed for hurting residents in the interest of developers.