Man spends decades catching pickpockets in Shanxi

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Chinese New Year is two months away, and small-time crimes are starting to pick up again in cities across China. Some brave volunteers in northern Shanxi Province are helping to keep their city's streets safe by keeping an eye out for pickpockets.

Feng Liming is getting ready for work by dressing himself up as a woman. /CGTN Photo

Thirty-six-year-old Feng Liming is one of them. He's been working in the Safety Department of Taiyuan Public Transportation Group and has helped catch pickpockets in the provincial capital city of Taiyuan for nearly 20 years. He is often dressed up in disguise to prevent the thieves from paying attention to him. His props include different types of wigs, hats and beards, a pair of non-prescription glasses and a mask.

Taking off the disguise, Feng is a strong and nimble man who's good at catching criminals. /CGTN Photo

“These props help me hide right in front of thieves. I take them with me every day, so I can use them anytime and anywhere to catch thieves,” Feng said. He actually spends more time riding buses than he does in the office. He often stands in a corner on a bus and observes any possible suspects.

Feng has also set up a team of around 10 people to fight pickpocketing. He and his teammates work in close cooperation with local police. About three times each month they head outside to watch out for thieves.

Feng and his teammates also catch thieves on the streets. /CGTN Photo

The work is quite dangerous. They often get injured when chasing and fighting the suspects. But Feng says he's up to the task and he enjoys it very much. "It's quite exciting. Facing the danger, your adrenaline is going up," he said.

Feng's disguise often helps him catch thieves. /CGTN Photo

Besides the buses, Feng and his teammates also walk on the downtown streets and in some shopping malls to fight pickpocketing. "Helping others always makes me happy. This job is a pleasure for me. It's even become routine," he said

Over the past years, Feng's volunteer crime-fighting team has caught nearly 2,000 criminals and helped break up over 20 gangs. The stolen items they've retrieved were worth around a million yuan (150,000 US dollars).

The Awards he won and recognition from the people who he helped have encouraged him to stick to the job. /CGTN Photo

Feng has also won 23 awards for his bravery, two at a national-level. His dedication to the job has earned him a lot of respect and appreciation from those that he's helped. "I also feel touched by many people who have been concerned about me. Their recognition has encouraged me to stick to my job", he said.

The experience in the army helped Feng to be good at fighting with criminals. /CGTN Photo

Feng graduated from a police school and he used to serve in the army. After all these years, he says he still wants to become a policeman one day. But his biggest wish is for his city to be free of crime, with no thieves to catch at all.