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They're notorious for being heavy-handed and often violent. Now city management officers in central China are being told to stop beating people up. It's part of the efforts by officials in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province, to restrain these civilian law enforcers. Collectively they're known as "Cheng Guan."
The new rules come after local media reported a Cheng Guan officer beat up an elderly street vendor last week. The news caused a public outcry, and the officer involved was eventually fired. This was the fourth incident in the past month involving violent Cheng Guan officers in Zhengzhou.
On Tuesday, state media reported that Zhengzhou officials are now ordering all Cheng Guan to sign an agreement promising they won't beat people up in the process of law enforcement.
Cheng Guan are common across China. They're civilian law enforcers in charge of maintaining order on city streets. They're often viewed negatively, because of frequent reports of Cheng Guan using excessive violence against vulnerable street vendors and hawkers.
