Urban management (chengguan)

[Randy W]

You see these guys around town fairly often - not as vicious as the ones in the article, but I've seen them around here, just checking up on businesses. They have an important role in city management, but are not actually law enforcement - and often just lower level employees.

 

Chengguan detained after violent assault

 

 

According to the video, the officers are attempting to confiscate several bicycles from outside the store. The confrontation turned violent, with the chengguan and several people dressed in cycling clothing entering the fray.

The owner of the store, Liu Guofeng, is seen lying on the ground, when a heavy-set officer deliberately jumps on his head with both feet. Liu was left bleeding and unconscious.

An employee surnamed Li from the Merida bicycle shop told the Global Times that Liu is in hospital with injuries to his head and chest, and must have an operation on his collarbone. He said that the officers confiscated five bicycles that day and have not returned them.

"A group of chengguan got out of their van and took the bicycles from in front of the shop without saying anything," Li said. "What happened in the video was after Liu came to stop the chengguan."

Li alleged that he and his colleagues thought the officers smelled of alcohol.

An official from the local urban management watchdog brigade told the People's Daily Online Monday that the shop had illegally parked bikes on the sidewalk before and officers issued alerts to them several times ordering them to rectify.

"Every time they asked us to put the bicycles in order, we followed the request. On Friday, there weren't many bicycles in front of the shop and they were in order," Li said, adding the bicycles belong to customers.

 

[Randy W]

More today on the chengguan in the Global Times

 

Blame perpetrators, not urban management system

 

 

Urban management officers in China have a bad reputation, but they shoulder a considerable part of urban management tasks. Because local governments have limited budgets for urban management, and chengguan tend to have low salaries and qualifications, many chengguan are hired as temporary employees.

This leads to a dilemma where on the one hand, urban management officers, including coordinators, have contributed to the overall development of many cities. But on the other hand, periodic controversies regarding violent incidents by chengguan undermine the government's image and social stability.

 

. . .

 

The authority of chengguan has already been destroyed. Street vendors are generally considered to be a vulnerable group in society.

With public support, these peddlers often resist law enforcement, which increases the odds of conflicts between urban management officers and peddlers.

. . .

There are no urban management officers in Western societies, only police. Unlike the West however, the appearance and people within Chinese cities are constantly changing, which challenges law enforcement.

. . .

Despite this, there is a consensus that the system is necessary. Only by treating individual cases rationally and promoting development of urban management as a whole, can China urbanize successfully