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The PAP is not a traffic police, nor should it be responsible for household registration as is the Public Security Police. Since its mission is to deal with security matters, the PAP plays a complementary role in street patrols and the arrest of criminals. This role was discussed at the first "Urban Garrison Conference" (城市警備會議) in Xiamen (廈門) in 1996. To better handle this new role, 78 PAP cadres attended and graduated in December 1997 from the first-ever training course in criminal investigation.

This complementary role can be illustrated by the achievements of the Shandong General Unit between 1993 and the summer of 1996. It prevented 69 attempted escapes by a total of 135 prisoners; it dispatched over 100,000 troops to safeguard public security at 3,000 public events; it sent 60,000 troops to accidents and other emergencies 1,800 times, during which 1,527 criminals were arrested and 11 killed. In addition, it dealt with 248 cases of smuggling; organized 6,000 troops to arrest a total of 3,790 criminals; and a total of 20,000 troops escorted 30,000 criminals from court to prison and between prisons. Besides, every branch unit was asked to put an armed patrol on the streets, and take part in the "Strike Hard" (嚴打) offensive. This is one example of provincial achievements. If similar tasks were accomplished in the other provinces, the PAP's role in the management of public order should not be underestimated.