Jiang Yiren (right), chairman of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, speaks on the last day of the yearly gathering of the city's top advisers. - Wang Rongjiang

Rachel Yan/Shanghai Daily news

City police should allocate special officers to improve campus security and safeguard students' personal safety, several members of a city government advisory panel proposed.
Campus police should be based at schools full time, as opposed to the present system of community patrols, according to a proposal submitted by six delegates to the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
"Schools are discovering that some security cases, especially serious criminal matters, are beyond their management ability," said Liu Jinghai, leader of the six delegates.
For instance, schools may be willing to open their sports facilities to the public on weekends and holidays. But their campuses may be disrupted by unruly behavior.
City police bureaus have already established connections between individual schools and officers. Teachers can call up their designated officer in an emergency.
"Though officers usually arrive quickly, the call-up system doesn't address all security dangers as officers may be occupied by other affairs outside," Liu said.
He suggested that campus-based special police should be deployed to maintain order, teach students self-protection skills and investigate campus crime.
Several schools in the same area could even share an officer if there's a manpower shortage, delegates suggested.
While the proposal was praised by teachers and parents, some police officers said it would be difficult to put into practice.
"A full-time campus officer system might be difficult due to the city's current shortage of police forces," said Li Lei of the Tilanqiao Police Station.