Rising social tension blamed for violence against officers
A manpower shortage, rapid urban population growth and rising social tension were to blame for the spate of violence against police in Xian , officers said yesterday.
There had been at least 13 cases of violence against police in Xian since April, and May saw six attacks within a week. The problem has even caught the attention of the Ministry of Public Security. Last Thursday, ministry chief Zhou Yongkang issued a memo calling for officers to be better equipped.
Hu Jie , a spokesman for the Public Security Bureau in Xian, said the force was simply understaffed.
'Our police force can not keep up with population growth in Xian, although we have expanded our team from 8,000 men and women in 1996 to nearly 12,000 this year,' said Mr Hu.
Mr Hu said Xian's population had risen sharply due to the arrival of a large number of migrant farmers from the countryside.
'More farmers are moving into the city and Xian has stepped up the merger of towns and villages into the city,' Mr Hu said.