Beijing is to recruit 6,500 more policemen and increase medical checkups for policemen from once two years to once a year, hoping to show more concern over their physical and mental health.

According to the report, the municipal police department applied to add more personnel to save on-the-job staff from overwork, which has recently been approved by local authorities.

The capital now has 63,489 policemen serving at local public security departments, procuratorates and the people's courts, with 64 percent under 40 years old.

"It should be a young and strong team, but medical checkups in recent years show that policemen have a higher morbidity rate than other groups," the Beijing News on Sunday quoted local authorities as saying.

High blood pressure, hyperlipemia, hyperglycemia are found to afflict more policemen than common people, with the former usually unhealthy in living and working habits and suffering psychological problems.

Policemen in Beijing mainly undertake 16 work tasks, which include preventing, stopping and investigating criminal activities, dealing with accidents and riots disturbing the public order, channeling mass assemblies and demonstrations, as well as controlling special industries and hazardous substances.

In recent years, the lack of personnel has grown to be the top threat to the worsening health of the city's policemen.

The Ministry of Public Security has also decided to launch a general survey over the mental health among 1.7 million policemen all over the country this year. Beijing will set up records for the mental status of local policemen after the survey to help them receive proper treatment. 

(Xinhua News Agency June 6, 2005)