Busy police station stars in documentary, educates public

During the busiest periods of calls for police assistance, Wu Jiani has to stay at her post for 36 hours straight and can only take a nap for two to three hours.

"You have received a new call for police," blares an alert from a loudspeaker in the hall of Pozijie Police Station in Changsha, Hunan province, where Wu works.

As the night wears on, the calls for police increase, she said. The police station is situated in the city's most popular business, shopping and recreational center, which is home to around 500 bars, karaoke venues and hotels.

Although the area only has around 99,000 permanent residents, the daily number of visitors can reach 430,000. During holidays, the number can swell to 1 million to 2 million a day.

The central location of the police station and the large number of bizarre cases it handles are two of the major reasons The Guardians of Jiefangxi, a documentary series that centers on the daily lives of police officers, has captured the imagination of hordes of young viewers.

Since first airing in 2019, the series has become an internet sensation.

Produced by TVZone Media and Chinese online video-sharing platform Bilibili, the series, which is in its fifth season, has garnered 1.4 billion views on Bilibili. On the popular review site Douban, on a scale of 10, it has received scores ranging from 8.2 to 9.0 over the five seasons.

Wu said the police station receives around 100 to 200 calls every day, which is almost 10 times the number of calls for a regular station in Changsha.

"Sometimes, when I hear the alerts I have a mini mental breakdown. The calls never stop, especially late at night," she said. "The police station becomes a crowded supermarket in the early hours of the morning. It requires us to work under immense pressure."