Beijing municipal government will be launching a strike at its local gangsters to strengthen its social security, Beijing Times reported yesterday, March 22.

The government will be taking measures to stop and to punish any "shelters" who offer gangsters protection. Police officers who provide them any lenience will be severely punished as well. A long-term anti-gangster system will be implemented to curb this social force in the future.

Most gangsters are "problem" youth, released prisoners and the homeless. In addition, the rural-urban fringe zone and the suburbs are the areas where gangsters prefer residing.

The city has cleaned up its streets, ridding it of many gangsters since 2004. A number of the gangsters were well-organized or business professionals, which made it difficult for the officers to implement their movements.

(Shanghai Daily March 23, 2006)