"Will you provide a foreign detainee with a translator?""Does he or she need to sign written records on site?""Is a lawyer available during interrogation?" ...
　　These questions were raised by representatives attending the"Diplomatic Envoys Face to Face with the Ministry of Public Security" program at the Law Enforcement and Case Handling Management Center of Chaoyang Branch, Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau (hereafter referred to as the center). When affirmed, they nodded .
　　 This program was held in Beijing on July 28, 2021. Executive Deputy Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong addressed the event. This was the third event of the"Ambassadors Face to Face with Chinese Ministries" series organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Over 150 ambassadors and representatives of international organizations visited the local police unit and gained in-depth understanding of the work of the Chinese public security system and the fruit of the Peaceful China initiative.
　　The center they visited is an important demo project of the Peaceful China initiative and the Promotion of the Rule of Law initiative in China. The Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau (hereafter referred to as the BMPSB) began to build and run these centers in October 2015 and regarded them as a paradigm of standardized law enforcement and a key project in the reform of judicial and public security systems.
　　So far, 16 district branch bureaus in Beijing have set up law enforcement and case handling management centers. All criminal cases must go to these centers. Law enforcement, case handling, supervision, management and services in the centers are carried out in an integrated manner to ensure that enforcement meets higher standards, and the case handling process is better regulated with closer supervision, higher efficiency and stronger support. These will improve the quality of case handling, safeguard suspects’legitimate rights and interests, and promote justice in law enforcement. As a result, these centers have become an iconic venue for law enforcement in Beijing and set a good example for the building of a law-based public security system in China.

　　One-Stop Case Handling
　　Each center has task forces respectively in charge of registration, security check, item storage, case-related money and items, as well as the waiting area; the center also cooperates with advanced medical institutions. Professional medical staff are assigned there to provide 24-hour services, including emergency treatment to suspects in poor condition. This helps to protect the health and safety of detainees.
　　Price evaluation, injury identification, medical support, and legal assistance from lawyers are all provided on-site. As all criminal cases are transferred to the centers, personnel assisting police officers in legal affairs, criminal investigation, public security, and economic crime investigation have all been assigned there to support local police departments with immediate legal guidance in case classification, procedures, evidence standards and collection, and review and approval. These centers have pooled all necessary resources together. Local police officers can get rid of excess task burden and get down to the details. Consequently, quality, efficiency, and law enforcement security have all notably improved.

　　Whole-Process Supervision
　　Every suspect at the center wears a smart wristband containing personal information. The gadget monitors the suspect’s movements within the case-handling area, records audio and video of interrogation, marks the location of personal belongings, and stores case details. With this equipment, police officers can be informed of interview procedures and each suspect’s movement. The e-management system helps to realize real-time monitoring and data retrieval. An infrared automatic alarm system that linked to the wristbands can recognize and warn about a suspect’s unusual behavior immediately.
　　The new-generation smart wristband is more humanized as it monitors suspects’pulses to ensure that they are in good physical conditions. A CCTV system and information-based management system have also been installed, leaving no areas uncovered. These have enabled police officers to exercise synchronized and real-time supervision as well as whole-process management and control over suspects. In other words, every single case is recorded throughout the process and subject to true-time supervision to ensure that every step taken by the police is fair and every word and action is lawful. It helps to root out violations and safeguards suspects’legitimate rights and interests.
　　Besides, every interview room is equipped with a display screen supported by information technologies presenting voice transcription and legal instruments such as notification of rights and obligations. In this way, suspects can be well informed, review the transcripts and give modifications in time. Meanwhile, remote interrogation and verification of case-related items become available. This equipment improves the quality and efficiency of enforcement and better protects suspects’legitimate rights and interests.

　　 Internal-External Collaboration
　　To continue raising law enforcement standards, the BMPSB has taken active measures to improve the centers’capabilities, create new working mechanisms, and enhance overall performance.
　　When dealing with a cross-border telecom fraud case, the police officers spent only 15 hours in joint efforts to finish the examination and detention procedures for 90 suspects, and 13 hours for 67 suspects, saving nine hours and reducing human resources by one-third compared to unorganized situations.
　　The BMPSB has introduced procuratorial and supervisory bodies to the centers to exercise oversight. It installed hardware, set up working mechanisms and maintained operations in a synchronized fashion. At present, this model has been widely adopted across the city.
　　The case-handling mechanism established between the public security and procuratorial departments has been constantly improved in recent years through trial and practice. Procurators are assigned to the centers to oversee the handling of criminal cases according to the law. They can obtain video footage, review case records, and carry out on-site inspections to see to it that law is enforced in a well-regulated manner, evidence is collected in a lawful way, and the suspect’s rights and interests are guaranteed. They can also redress errors and flaws in this process to maintain judicial fairness.
　　Coordination and collaboration between public security and procuratorial departments have been further strengthened. The former has requested the latter to engage in major, tricky and new types of cases in advance, and both have hosted regular meetings for in-depth discussion and launched training programs together to improve case handling quality and performance.
　　The Expedited Trial Court has been set up. To ensure both efficiency and justice, an expedited trial court and legal aid station have been established with the support of procuratorial organs, courts and judicial organs. Expedited trial procedure ensures that some certain cases can be completed in 48 hours. An expedited trial can be initiated when suspects are sentenced a fixed-term imprisonment of no more than three years and voluntarily plead guilty. In this light, staff of the centers will finish all legal procedures including investigation, evidence collection, suspect transfer to judicial departments, public prosecution, and trial within the time limit. In the meantime, the related departments have constantly improved operation standards and streamlined case-handling processes, cooperated with each other while exercising power independently, categorized cases by complexity, and facilitated quick settlement for simple cases. As a result, the expedited trial procedure has become more efficient and judicial resources are utilized in a more reasonable way.
　　Qualified social workers have been introduced to correct juvenile delinquency. Under the principle of"for the best of juveniles," each center has an area to deal with all juvenile criminal cases. While enhancing case handling expertise, police officers have adopted the concept of comprehensive governance and hired judicial social workers to provide assistance and education. They’re also working on a three-dimensional mechanism with the involvement of police officers, parents and social workers to help minors who break the law or commit crimes. They provide young offenders with care, aid, education, psychological counseling and assistance to safeguard their legitimate rights and interest. This helps to better prevent juvenile delinquency and ensures that protective measures are taken ahead of law enforcement and throughout the whole process. With both case-handling expertise and social assistance in place, a new pattern of joint contribution, shared benefits and mutual governance has taken shape.
　　During the Covid-19 period, the centers exercise strict prevention and control measures. Reservations should be made in advance, and personal health conditions and travel history should be checked to avoid close contacts. To access this area, people should go through five steps including temperature measurement, investigation, verification, disinfection and registration. The center adopts different rules on different groups of people. Places and objects in the center are disinfected more often and with stricter standards. Suspects are kept a certain distance apart to avoid cross-infection. Protections and inter-departmental communications are strengthened. For example, a joint operation mechanism between the centers and detention houses has been established. The centers have maintained close contact with local health commissions, disease control and emergency service departments, coordinating with designated hospitals for Covid-19 treatment and opening a"green channel" for virus testing and screening. All these efforts are made to ensure early detection and early treatment. ■
　　
　　（ Translated by Agnes )