The country's largest city plans to double the number of police officers on the streets.

At least 5,000 non-uniformed personnel will be recruited to free up 5,000 police officers from desk jobs to patrol and fight street crimes, said Wu Zhiming, director of Shanghai Public Security Bureau, Monday.

The first 1,000 office workers will be hired this year.

At present, there are 5,000 uniformed officers patrolling the city.

At a briefing Monday, Wu said the office workers to be hired will not wear uniforms and will be hired for support staff positions such as equipment maintenance, property management or office administration.

"It will greatly cut down our expenses," Wu said. "Because, the cost for a police officer to do the same job as a worker is far higher."

The bureau employed 150 workers in Pudong Sub-bureau last December as a pilot programme.

Wu also announced that local residents will also be able to dial 110 when calling for help in any type of emergency.

Currently, people have to dial 110 for police, 120 for ambulance, and 119 for fire in Chinese cities. Also, in Shanghai, gas, water and power stations will also set up their own emergency hotlines.

"The move is aimed at improving our ability to tackle emergencies," he said Monday at a conference to highlight this year's priorities for the local police force.

An emergency centre will also be set up within the bureau, which is expected to be put into use this year.

(China Daily February 3, 2004)