Stress takes toll

The busy workload has taken a toll on the health of some station staff members, with three young officers diagnosed with cancer.

Another suffers from an undiagnosed brain problem while another has heart issues, Shen said.

Despite the pressures, the hectic work has also enabled officers to grow quickly into their roles. Pozijie Police Station has become the "gold standard" among all police stations in the city, Shen said, with the sense of pride in working there reaffirming officers' determination to succeed in the profession. There are also more promotion opportunities at the station, he added.

Due to the popularity of the series, the station's police officers have become used to carrying out law enforcement activities under close public scrutiny, Shen said.

"Compared with other types of police, the work of officers at grassroots police stations is fundamental, yet complicated and comprehensive. Without their dedication, the overall environment for public security cannot be good," he said.

Wu said due to the shortage of police officers, she sometimes has to take the lead in handling dangerous situations.

One time, she was called to deal with a drunk man who was wielding a big wooden stick to smash a car window. His girlfriend was inside the car and too scared to come out.

"I only had an intern with me, and as the man was clearly not in his right mind, reasoning with him would not help," she said. "I was also somewhat scared, and I needed to be smart so the man would not hurt anyone else at the scene."

She finally handcuffed the man with the help of security staff from a nearby shopping mall, she said.

Officer Ding Weike, 24, said dealing with drunks is one of the most common duties for police officers at the station as the area has a lot of bars.

There are all kinds of disputes and fighting. People behave irrationally after getting drunk and sometimes they even attack police, so it is important officers learn how to defend themselves, he said.

"I usually restrain suspects when I sense that they are about to attack me or others," he said.

"However, that is not to say that we are under attack all the time. Generally speaking, police officers are well-respected and loved by the people, thanks to the dedicated work of countless officers around the country."