The Fengqiao Experience: How China Relieves Its Police Officers of Pressures from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Police officers worldwide have encountered significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a lack of protective equipment, overwork, and the legality of emergency policing. This study explores how police officers in China have responded to public emergencies during the pandemic, using a comprehensive and multi-channel method of data collection and analysis. The primary and secondary data were obtained from questionnaires (N=713), semi-structured interviews (N=30), and official reports. The “Fengqiao Experience” demonstrates how China relieves pressure on police officers during the pandemic in both the short and long run. The experimental practices of Fengqiao, including material support and training mechanisms, non-contact law enforcement, intelligent analysis combined with big data, grid-based governance, and joint defense mechanisms, prove to be effective. Fighting the COVID-19 pandemic is not only a test for the national governance system and its capabilities but also an opportunity to promote its modernization.