Lhasa tops list of China’s safest cities through innovative social governance

Lhasa, capital of Southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, tops a list of the safest Chinese cities, boasting more than 100 police stations that can respond to emergency calls within just one minute.

A recent blue book published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences on the public services in Chinese cities shows Lhasa ranked first among 38 major Chinese cities in terms of public safety, the Tibet Daily reported on Friday.

Currently the city’s more than 100 police service stations can respond to emergency calls within one minute in core areas and three minutes in other areas, according to the Tibet Daily report.

In the counties and townships of the city, local governments have set up mediation centers to resolve disputes among residents, and the centers are playing an increasingly important role in maintaining social stability and enhancing unity.

Wang Liang, a senior official at Lhasa Public Security Bureau, said that Lhasa has enhanced people’s sense of security through innovative social governance. It has made comprehensive changes to key areas of public security that resulted in annual declines in criminal and public security cases.

The sense of security and satisfaction of local residents has reached more than 99 percent, and the number of accidents and deaths decreased 16 percent and 21 percent respectively, according to the Tibet 2019 government work report released in January.

Tibet dealt with more than 30,000 cases in 2018, including 25 cases involving inciting separatism or financial crimes.