Ecological Policing in Yinchuan

Tao Yongyan

Yinchuan， a city renowned for its pristine ecological environment， captivates the senses. A glance outof a window reveals an enchanting sight of meandering rivers， while stepping outdoors one sees a city adorned with vibrant gardens. This setting is reminiscent of the poetic lines. "varied hues caressing the gardens， mirroring emerald waves." This beauty is a testament to the city's unwavering commitment to sustainable development， which brings joy to every resident.

On May 5th，the satisfaction of Yinchuan residents with their city was palpable during a ceremony that recognised the city as one of the top 10 in China for quality of life. Moreover， it ranked among the top five major cities， surpassing the national average score for security and access to essential amenities by over 7 percentage points.

The Yinchuan Public Security Bureau recognizes the connection between the ecological environment and people's quality of life. Guided by this principle， the Bureau has taken commendable steps in recent years to enhance its ecological governance through collaboration among internal and external departments and the integration of law enforcement with preventive measures. Moreover， the officers have gone beyond reducing environmental pollution by actively supporting initiatives that improve overall environmental quality. These efforts reflect the Bureau's commitment to vigorously protecting the ecological integrity of the Yellow River Basin and positioning Yinchuan as a model city for high-quality development.

Coordination between Forest Rangers and Ecological Officers

"In chariots we ride with strength and determination， over the Helan Mountains， facing invaders without hesitation..." These 12th century lines from General Yue Fei's poem， "The River All Red，"have etched the Helan Mountains deep within the hearts of the Chinese people. The mountains stretch across Ningxia and Inner Mongolia， serving as a vital line of demarcation. To safeguard the ecology on the eastern side of the Helan Mountains， the Ningxia provincial government initiated a pilot project in 2018 to restore this region's forests， fields， lakes， and grasslands.  Yinchuan unveiled a three-year action plan， designating spaces for ecological preservation to ensure they are free from productive and residential activities.

A vital component of this action plan is the implementation of a comprehensive ecological policing mechanism， which emphasizes close coordination between police officers and ecological personnel to safeguard forests， rivers， and lakes. This mechanism operates at four levels： the city， county， township， and village， each with well-defined responsibilities and protocols. To effectively pursue the Bureau's ecological objectives， a dedicated force of 396 "ecological officers" has been deployed throughout the green waters and lush mountains of Yinchuan.

One of them is Cui Yongfeng，an officer from Nuanquan Police Station in Helan County. Alongside forest conservation volunteers， he regularly embarks on forest patrols. "Let me tell you， patrolling the mountains is no strolling，" Cui said. "There are no proper trails， just steep slopes， ravines， and it takes stamina sometimes to trampthrough thick bushes！" Cui spoke passionately about the importance of his job. "Fire prevention， theft prevention， illegal logging prevention， and anti-poaching are all top priorities in mountain patrols."

"In the past， you rarely saw Himalayan Blue Sheep around because people hunted them so much. But things have changed， and now they're a frequent sight. Can you believe it？ These cheeky little guys even go for leisurely walks in tourist areas or just wander into nearby vineyards，" Cui shared. According to the officer， the Helan Mountain Nature Reserve now has 12 species of wild animals under first-level national protection and 41 species under second-level national protection. This is a testament to the hard work of the ecological officers.

Ecological Governance

For the Forest Branch of the Yinchuan Public Security Bureau， May to October each year is of vital importance in forest fire prevention. To effectively address major fire incidents， the Branch has implemented a comprehensive emergency response plan， which encompasses both daily fire prevention measures and timely organization of fire scene surveillance and investigation. In their efforts to raise public awareness of fire hazards， the Branch has employed various methods such as public notices， banners， signs， and educational flyers. They have also utilized text messages to inform individuals entering the forest about fire safety protocols. Furthermore， the dedicated forest police officers have collaborated closely with forest rangers and security staff， conducting regular mountain patrols to swiftly detect any potential sources of fire， thereby ensuring the safety of tourists while preserving natural resources. Lastly， during the implementation of these fire prevention campaigns and initiatives， the Forest Branch has actively coordinated with other police departments， ensuring clear responsibilities and the elimination of all fire hazards.

Xie Xiaojun， the Branch's Deputy Director， explained： "To be honest， my job has become much easier than before. It's all thanks to our extensive legal education campaigns that have effectively raised public awareness about the crucial connection between preserving forests， the environment， and ensuring the safety of our local communities. No one is irrelevant." During the May Day holiday， Xie received a report from locals about some youngsters barbecuing near the Rock Painting Scenic Spot. Swiftly Xie and his colleagues intervened， extinguished the fire， and cautioned the offenders about the potential hazards.

"Nowadays， there has been a shift in the roles of both law enforcement officers and local communities. We're not just enforcers; we're also advocates. Local residents have become advocates and supervisors of environmental protection. To me， this is the greatest impact of our efforts，" said Xie. Through the ecological initiatives aimed at preserving and rehabilitating the Helan Mountains， local communities have developed increasing appreciation for the importance of conservancy. This in turn has facilitated the work of ecological police officers， leading to a notable increase in forest coverage and wildlife populations. It has now become commonplace to seemajestic herds of red deer and blue sheep freely roaming and foraging within the protected area，and the elusive snow leopards have also showed up after an absence of half a century.

The collaborative efforts between the forest officers and the ecological personnel have also contributed to a substantial reduction in poaching and environmental destruction. This has played a pivotal role in fostering a sense of happiness and security within the local communities.

The"Ecological 110" Mechanism

The prosperity and aesthetic appeal of Yinchuan are intricately linked to the city's aquatic ecology. With the aim of improving the water ecology and ensuring an enjoyable aquatic environment for its residents， Yinchuan has implemented a diverse array of initiatives. These include the restoration of river and lake connectivity and the enhancement of water quality. As a result， a comprehensive interconnected network of vibrant water ecosystems has been established throughout the city， significantly enhancing its visual appeal.

On the morning of May18th， Officer Su Lin and his colleagues from the Suyin Branch embarked on their routine patrol along the Yellow River. As the summer season had just begun， the temperature was already rising by 10 a.m.， attracting fishing enthusiasts to the riverbanks. To deter illegal fishing， the officers from the Suyin  Branch initiated shoreline inspections within their jurisdiction. They reminded people to maintain their distance from the river and fish responsibly.

During his patrol， Officer Su encountered an individual fishing near the Yellow River. He promptly addressed the situation， saying， "Hello there， I'd like to inform you that we are currently in the fishing restriction period， which runs from April 1to July 31. Please adhere to the regulations while fishing： use a single fishing rod with one hook， and， most importantly， prioritize your safety. Thank you for your cooperation."

"During the past few years， there have been cases of illegal fishing and mining here. It happened because some people just didn't care much about protecting the environment， and we were lacking experience and a systematic approach in our work，" Su explained."However， we've managed to turn things around by cracking down on illegal fishing and hunting. Now， this place has transformed into a haven for birds. We've seen a dozen more rare species flocking here， and tens of thousands of birds now migrate here for winter." Pointing at some birds in the distance， Su emphasized that these feathered creatures serve as perfect indicators of the improvement in water quality and the success of the environmental protection efforts， given their high habitat requirements.

Since 2022， the Yinchuan Public Security Bureau has actively pursued innovative approaches to ecological conservation in the Yellow River Basin. A notable breakthrough is the introduction of the "Ecological 110" Mechanism， which brings together law enforcers， ecological experts， volunteers， and local enterprises. This mechanism represents a significant step forward compared to the previous collaborative framework involving river chiefs， police officers， and ecological personnel.

Since its inception， the "Ecological 110" Mechanism has prioritized objectives including the enforcement of ecological rule of law， prevention of pollution， and conservancy of the Yellow River Basin. This governance model incorporates cross-industry and cross-regional information exchange， consultations across multiple departments， and coordination between law enforcement agencies and criminal courts. These comprehensive initiatives are designed to shoulder the responsibility of preserving the ecological environment and fostering the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin.

"We have drones soaring through the skies， patrol boats navigating the waters， and vehicles patrolling the riverbanks， guaranteeing comprehensive round-the-clock supervision of critical water areas，" explained Li Huitao， Captain of the Yinchuan Public Security Bureau's Environmental Protection Brigade. Officer Li further stated that the river sections that once required 15 hours for patrol can now be efficiently covered in mere 3 hours. Thanks to these advanced technologies， law enforcement capabilities have been greatly enhanced， enabling precise enforcement to safeguard the environment of the Yellow River Basin.

In recent years， the Yinchuan Public Security Bureau has initiated numerous campaigns to combat illicit activities that disrupt the ecological environment of the Yellow River Basin. These efforts encompass tackling issues such as poaching， illegal logging， and unauthorized mining. As a result， the Bureau has successfully resolved 36 criminal cases involving the endangerment of precious and imperiled wildlife， leading to the confiscation of 30 animals under second-level national protection. Additionally， it has seized two musical instruments crafted from Przewalski's gazelle horns and black-necked turtle shells， sourced from animals under first- and second-level national protection respectively. They have also confiscated 56 ivory products and over 230 items suspected of being made from rare and endangered wild plants. Notably， the Bureau has diligently handled all the 13 criminal leads assigned by the Ministry of Public Security， along with 32 leads from the Ningxia Public Security Department related to forest protection.

Collaboration with Local Communities

Citizens are a vital force in urban ecological governance. In order to harness the power of the public， the Yinchuan Public Security Agency has implemented a series of measures since the beginning of this year. It has not only established police-enterprise cooperative workstations， Yellow River ecological protection police service stations， wildlife conservation and rescue stations， and wildlife conservation education centers， but has also made an emergency helpline widely available to the public， establishing a streamlined process for handling ecological cases. Through extensive promotion and mobilization， public awareness of environmental protection has significantly increased. With the assistance of the public， the Public Security Bureau has successfully provided protection and rescue for over 150 animals， including northern goshawks and common kestrels， promoting a harmonious coexistence between humans， animals， and nature.

Bearing witness to these ecological governance efforts is Du Dianshi， a resident in his sixties. Having lived and worked alongside the Yellow River for four decades， he has a wealth of observations regarding the transformations that have taken place in recent years as a result of the River's ecological governance.

"Actually， I used to get in trouble with the police for illegal fishing. However， better informed about the law and awareness campaigns， I have completely changed my ways. Now， I not only strictly adhere to the regulations myself， but I am also actively involved in promoting fishing bans and participating in river patrols. Guess what？ I'm even the captain of the volunteer patrol team now！" Du shared with a sense of accomplishment.

A growing number of villagers have now joined the volunteer patrol team. They work hand in hand with the local police station， implementing 24-hour shifts to document and discourage illegal fishing. The evidence they gather is handed over to the police for appropriate action. "Since we're benefiting from the waters of the Yellow River， we have a responsibility to protect it and make it even better，" Du said with a smile.

"The importance of promoting green development and fostering a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature has been given due emphasis at the Communist Party of China's 20th National Congress. For us， it means taking proper care of， utilizing， and developing the Yellow River， while ensuring the lushness of the Helan Mountains. The Public Security Bureau will continue to intensify our efforts in ecological policing. We will innovate policing approaches by engaging local communities for support and ramp up our work to deter crimes that jeopardize the forest and lake ecosystems. These initiatives， are intended to consistently contribute to the preservation of Yinchuan's breathtaking ecological environment， enhance its appeal， and actively participate in the city's transformation into an exemplary model within the Yellow River Basin，" explained Huang Yongping， the deputy director of the Yinchuan Public Security Bureau.

As the saying goes， "if humanity does not fail nature， nature will not fail us." With its azure skies， lush landscapes， and pristine waters， the captivating city of Yinchuan promises a prospect of boundless hope and vitality.   ■

（Translated by Shao He and Bi Meilun）