College students make their mark in communities
The Shanghai Urban Management and Law Enforcement Bureau has recruited 10 university students to show them the ropes in community governance and how they can make a difference in their neighborhoods.
The recruits are from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, East China University of Political Science and Law, and Shanghai University of Political Science and Law.
"I suggest including a one-tap function for electric bicycle owners' information in the Shanghai Urban Management and Law Enforcement Bureau app, so that law enforcement officials can find information quicker," is a proposal from Tang Junchao, a student at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law.
Tangn Junchao (left) follows law enforcement officials in Sijing Town.
In the first half of this year, urban management and law enforcement officials received 18,400 complaints involving communities, accounting for 36 percent of the total.
Shanghai's revised e-bike regulations took effect in June, and the acts of charging electric bicycles with a "flying wire," bringing electric bicycles and batteries indoors or taking them in elevators are strictly forbidden. A "flying wire" refers to someone who runs an extension cord from their apartment to charge an electric bicycle outside.
Zhao Yilun, an official with the Sijing Town administrative law enforcement team in Songjiang District, is responsible for coordinating the participation of three college students in practical activities in the district. One of their main goals is to stop people from running long extension cords from their apartment to charge their electric bike outside.
Zhao told students that a tolerant and cautious attitude is necessary in law enforcement.
A student learns law enforcement procedures and regulations at Xinhong subdistrict in Minhang District.
Previously, there was an old man in the jurisdiction who did not cooperate with community guidance and insisted on taking his e-bike battery inside his home to charge it. After several unsuccessful conversations with neighborhood committee officials, they sought help from urban management officials.
The man said he could not use a smart phone for centralized charging, and was worried about the charger being more expensive than doing it at home. As a result, he was determined not to use them.
Young students taught the old man step by step how to set up electric vehicle charging with a smart phone, and they gave him a charging voucher, patiently explaining the importance of life and property, which finally led the man to change his mind.
In the first half of this year they have achieved good results by promoting the installation of centralized charging devices for electric vehicles, guidance on regulations, and rectification when needed.
However, there are difficulties in obtaining information and communication, which affects the efficiency of law enforcement, as Tang learned from many law enforcement officials. He put forward a proposal that conforms to the neighborhood's situation and it was unanimously recognized by officials and community workers.
An inspection of e-bikes in Sijing Town on Wednesday.
The Pudong New Area Urban Management and Law Enforcement Bureau's information center had already established a drone operation team composed of four young adults last year for drone patrol, intelligent identification of illegal acts, and remote law enforcement supervision. It was a breakthrough in terms of the limitations of traditional manpower patrols that are both time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Since the end of last year, drones have been used as "evidence collection tools" to help bust 23 illegal building cases and 86 cases involving rectifications and demolitions.
Mao Ziji, a student, proposed the use of drones in spotting violations such as greenery damage and storing construction waste in public areas.
The problem of restaurant smoke disturbing residents has been addressed by Yin Xun, a university student who proposed a system that integrates online monitoring of restaurant smoke and early warning. Through this system, it is possible to remotely monitor the emission of restaurant smoke and the purification and maintenance of equipment, achieving real-time supervision, precise early warning, and efficient law enforcement.
Bureau officials said they attach great importance to the suggestions of university students and will promote "golden ideas."
The city has registered more than 8,200 urban management and law enforcement officials.
