Community policeman’s boundless helping spirit
Print Edition
CHEN Dehua is a community policeman at Lianhua Apartment Residential Neighborhood in Putuo District’s Taopu Town and oversees the Lianhua Community, where most of the residents were relocated from other areas.
Now 56 years old, Chen joined the army at 18 and became a policeman five years later. Working in the community, Chen has won numerous honors including the National Outstanding People’s Police and May 1 Labor Medal of Shanghai.
Over the past 18 years in Taopu, he has developed his own four-step working method with one thing he always keeps in mind: be honest with the people, be true to the people.
In Lianhua Community, there are 2,230 seniors over the age of 60, 230 of whom live alone. Nineteen are childless. There are many people from disadvantaged groups, including many migrant workers, bringing challenges to the management.
Chen started a “sunset project” to care for disabled people needing help. He provides aid both economically and psychologically.
Every year he prepares the Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner for the elders living alone and brings New Year goods the next day, going door to door. He also sends mooncakes to the seniors during Mid-Autumn Festival and watermelons in the hot summer.
Chen plans two trips for the elders and disabled annually, giving them a chance to go out and experience the changes taking place across the city. From Yuyuan Garden to Guyi Garden in Nanxiang Town, residents have fond memories of the outings.
At his encouragement, over 800 residents in the whole community paired up to help each other.
Pan Qiuyan, an elder in the community, lived alone and had no children. When Chen heard about him living on a low stipend and no one taking care of his daily life, he offered to help him clean his apartment, install a telephone and window screen, and even pay his phone bills and general medical bills every month. Chen viewed Pan as his own father. Before he died, he gave Chen a diamond ring as the only memorial gift from a father to a son.
Chen seldom has days off. He has no weekends and is available whenever people need help. He realized that only with the help of fellow residents can the community succeed in building a harmonious home for everyone. In 1998 he opened a chat room for people to come with various problems and since then has solved over 6,000 cases.
“We are people’s police, we serve the people wholeheartedly,” he said. “When they have difficulties, we should stand out without any hesitation. It’s our responsibility to help them ensure their rights.”
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