Miao Xinpai, an official working for the local government in Handan, Hebei Province, was recently suspended from his post.
According to news reports, Miao instructed local police department to halt its operation against four wanted criminals as the Spring Festival was approaching. He said that he wanted the criminals to enjoy the festival.
This is indeed odd, and whether Miao's orders were handed down by other higher officials remains unclear. But either way, it's shocking to see a government official taking the rule of law this lightly by interfering with the law enforcement department's work at his own preference.
The police are not servants of the government. They should have certain independence. Lawmakers need to improve the regulations in this area to give real protection to law enforcement's independence.
Although the police are nominally independent, local governments can still boss around over the local law enforcement department because they control the funds, thus leaving the door open for potential abuses of power.
Hence, lawmakers should consider asking higher level police department to provide necessary resources to local police departments when carrying out law enforcement operations, bypassing local governments.
The Beijing News