China’s public security minister pledges to rein in abuse of powers by police
Commitment comes amid public outcry over death in custody of a Beijing environmental scientist
China’s minister in charge of the police has vowed to crack down on abuse of power by officers amid widespread public concerns prompted by the death of a man in custody in Beijing earlier this month.
Some experts have said laws are needed to specify the limits of police powers when placing people in detention.
Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun urged police bureaus around the country to understand the “significance and urgency” to standardise law enforcement practice after President Xi Jinping chaired a meeting to discuss the issue, Xinhua reported on Sunday.
Police in Beijing to investigate officers allegedly involved in death of man in custody
Guo also called for better training to boost legal literacy and law enforcement capacity among all police officers, especially those at local levels.
“[We need] … to educate the whole police force to consciously respect the law, study the law and abide by the law and to strictly standardise law enforcement to ensure justice,” Guo was quoted as saying.
Police bureaus across the country must come up with detailed plans and deadlines to enforce this order, Guo said.