To become a policeman is often to realize one's childhood dream or an honored opportunity for adults.

Yesterday in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, was the last day of a police recruitment drive, that had many enquiring or registering their interest.

It was planned to recruit 122 potential police officers for 46 posts, Liu Wenkai, vice-director of the Civil Servant Department under the Municipal Personnel Bureau, told China Daily.

The three-day recruitment drive ended with a larger than expected registration of 1,987 people in total, including 684 who wanted to join the special police forces, but there are only 26 vacancies there.

The recruitment push began on Saturday, when long queues formed in front of the registration office.

Yin Yonggang, an applicant, told China Daily, "I just want a stable job. I don't really care that much about the salary."

Having been working for three years in a food company, he recently quit his job to take care of his father, who is suffering from cancer.

With it not being easy to find a decent job, he had planned to set up a business by himself, he said, "But I don't feel that I'm suited to being a businessman."

"I'm good at martial arts and I'm a man with a strong sense of right and wrong. I admire the police and this could be a good chance for me.

Only two posts, one in legal system management and that of prison doctor, are open to woman applicants.

A girl, with two years work experience, who only gave her surname as Wang, said she wanted to join for more colorful work experiences.

Wang Jinguo, who has been working at a district government office for two years, said being a policeman or soldier is his lifetime dream.

After graduating from college, he had decided to join the army. However, considering the difficulty in finding a job when demobilized from the army, he abandoned his dream.

"My present job has good working conditions and salary, but it is just not active enough for me," he said.

(China Daily August 2, 2005)