Whether you've spent a short time in China or years here, you have probably picked up that there is little violent crime or murder. Despite the spate of stabbings in recent years, such attacks are still extremely rare events. However, if you plan to live here for any great length of time, there is a real chance of having to go to the police over such crimes as robbery or burglary. You may encounter fraud or possibly theft of credit card information as well. While police do not deal directly with every kind of crime, they accept reports for all criminal offences and can help in many emergencies. Thus, it will be useful to have a clear idea of what they can help you with, and to understand some of the procedures.

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When to call

Although most of us think of going to the police for the immediate emergency or if we are a victim of a crime, a poll of Shanghai policemen shows that foreigners call the authorities for a very broad scope of reasons. These include filing a criminal report, asking about social security help, reporting transportation problems, general consultancy and daily life problems. Consultancy and daily life problems are actually listed as the most common reason that foreigners call 110. Getting lost is a common one. So is quarrelling with the landlord.

Furthermore, many foreigners approach police for issues that are not treated as police matters at all in China; these include reporting neighbours fighting, complaining about clothes being hung outside their door or reporting road construction at night. While these are not typically police issues, cases of serious violence at home are sometimes dealt with through the Ju Wei Hui (Chinese neighbourhood committees). It is relevant to add that most Chinese do not consider smacking a child to be serious violence.

So as not to cause confusion then, it is helpful to know what matters Chinese police consider emergencies. According to Beijing and Guangzhou authorities, police emergencies cover the following:

1) When you are in danger or in need of immediate help
2) If you learn of cases of murder, robbery, kidnapping, rape, assault, theft or other crimes
3) When order at shops, markets, bus or train stations, sports arenas or other gathering places is disrupted (as relating to violence or other destruction)
4) Reporting gambling, prostitution, drug use or other cases which threaten public security
5) When water, electricity, gas or heat systems are damaged and threaten public safety (such as a downed power line, not an electrical outage)
6) When old people, children or the mentally ill get lost or need help
7) In the case of natural disasters
8) Providing information about criminal cases

Note: You can report financial crimes to police non-emergency services, but other agencies are generally the ones in charge of the investigation.

What to do

If you are the victim of a crime or in an immediate emergency, pick up your cell phone and call 110. That emergency number is good anywhere in China. You can also report a crime through a new messaging system at 12110; this is useful for those who have difficulty communicating (such as the deaf or mute) or if the matter is not urgent. Furthermore, you can communicate with the authorities in many cities by e-mail: Beijing (110@bjgaj.gov.cn), Guangzhou (110@gzjd.gov.cn), Shanghai (gaj110@shanghai.gov.cn), Nanjing (wsgaj@nj.gov.cn), Xiamen (xm110@public.xm.fj.cn). More information on how to contact emergency services in your city can be found in our each eChinacities City Guides. It can easily be found when you type “useful numbers” in the search bar.

Once you have reported an emergency to 110 or at the local police station, you should be prepared to give your basic personal information such as your full name, nationality, contact number and address. Also be prepared to report the location and time of the crime, any injuries that occurred, as well as who and how many people were involved. Try to be as clear and factual as possible. If you do not know the name of the street where the crime happened, being able to give a description of the location, including nearby buildings, should help the police figure it out. One further note in reporting criminal activity is that when a crime is actually in process, be sure to make sure you are not placed in danger by reporting it. In some cases you might want to go to a safe place before contacting the police. This strategy is strongly advised by the police themselves.

After you have contacted the police there are a few further things to expect. If you have been injured in the crime, they will want you to keep hospital records which detail the injuries as well as the treatment and even simple medical checks such as X-rays or CT scans. You can also expect them to contact you in the future if they need further details or testimony. Naturally, if your contact information changes, let them know.

Probably the biggest worry in approaching police about a crime is whether they will be able to communicate with you. While it is still true that in smaller cities and towns language skills or a translator will help immensely, many large cities in China today have foreign language options on the 110 hotlines. You can expect to have language options in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hohhot, Nanjing, Xiamen, Ningbo, Yiwu, Shijiazhuang and others. The largest of the above cities offer up to ten language choices.

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Keywords: How to contact police China when to contact police China crime China Chinese police emergencies