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Metro Beijing

More cops make bars safe during World Cup

Updated: 2010-07-09 09:05
By Zhang Yan ( China Daily)

More cops make bars safe during World Cup

Officers and dogs patrol Sanlitun at night. [Provided to China Daily]

No serious crimes have taken place on Sanlitun's bar street since the start of the World Cup on June 11, police said Wednesday.

Du Qiang, chief of the Sanlitun police station, said there were 10 minor cases, which included public disturbances, lost goods and drinking-related offences.

He said there are four times more officers on the street and around the Workers' Stadium during the World Cup to maintain public order.

"A total of 90 policemen, together with six German Shepherds and two Labradors, have been deployed in those areas, " he said.

Du said German Shepherds are used to assist officers in arrests, while Labradors sniff out drugs.

In terms of officers, at least 10 have been deployed on the south corner of the bar street with a single police car. Eight others wait in Tongli area and another 12 are at the Workers' Stadium. The remaining officers patrol the areas.

"In any given night, officers will make at least two random visits to bars to improve the customers' sense of security and lower the potential for crimes," Du said.

More cops make bars safe during World Cup

In particular, he said the visibility of the police helps to eradicate theft and violence.

This was evident on June 29 at a bar in Tongli area, at the conclusion of a televised match between Japan and Paraguay. The matched ended in a tie and the fans - seven Japanese and Chinese-Japanese fans and five Paraguay fans - became agitated.

Gao Xin, the officer on duty in the area, rushed to the scene. His call to the police station was answered with the arrival of 10 more officers within two minutes. He said the situation was controlled effectively through peaceful negotiation.

In addition to the visible police presence, Du said there are another eight plain-clothes officers frequenting the bars.

Zhang Jinjun, head of the plainclothes team, told METRO there have been no drug trafficking cases during the World Cup in the bar street, but that doesn't affect their level of monitoring.

He said drug-related cases remain rife in Sanlitun. Since January, local police have seized from 30 suspects involving drug-related cases.

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