Police officers are being instructed to fire at dangerous gangsters, said Zhang Guifang, Guangzhou's highest official in charge of public security. Guangzhou police will take further action this month, focusing on key sections in the city that are notorious for high crime rates, Southcn.com reported yesterday.

In focus is the notorious thief known as "hand chopper", who robs hand bags by chopping people's hands off.

Police officers should dare to open fire, Zhang said. Guangzhou police officers have already shot two dangerous assailants since the beginning of this year.

More than 3,000 police officers will patrol the roads every day in the second quarter, while plain clothes officers take their aim at robbery cases, Zhang said.

The capital city of Guangdong Province had 22,700 criminal cases in the first quarter, down 1.8 percent from a year ago. With more than 6,780 robbery cases as well as 12,000 theft cases, Guangzhou will establish an integrated public security management system, which is consists of patrolling police, operatives, plain clothes, special forces and community police teams.

The Party committee of the city has ordered a reduction in this year's robbery cases by 10 percent or more. As most of the robberies happened in residential areas, main streets and in the business districts of the city, police patrols will be enhanced.

Plain clothes officers will take action on street crimes while operatives will mainly be in charge of uncovering major cases.

A local financial department will offer monetary support to the local police, especially to purchase better equipment and weapons for its plain clothes team, Zhang said.

Zhang also requested the establishment of a residential security system, to be operated by community police officers, to protect overall neighborhood safety.

(Shanghai Daily April 6, 2006)