Dong Qinwei (front left) and colleagues study policing skills in August. [Photo provided to China Daily]
 
Editor's Note: Around this year's Qingming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day, on April 5, the national public security system carried out a series of activities in memory of fallen heroes. Last year, 261 police officers and 131 auxiliary police officers across the country died while on duty. Below, China Daily tells the stories of three officers.
 
The unexpected death of a devoted team member has brought sorrow to his relatives and those who were guided by him. Yang Zekun reports.
 
"I will always remain at my post to ensure the passengers' safety," pledged Dong Qinwei, an officer with the Harbin railway public security bureau in Heilongjiang province, on Jan 14 at a symposium on Spring Festival transportation.
 
However, the same day, the 58-year-old died suddenly as a result of a cardiac problem on the journey back to work, despite first aid being administered.
 
Having become a police officer in 1988, Dong devoted his life to the job he was passionate about. He served in a number of roles at both the police office at Harbin Railway Station and the local bureau's criminal investigation department. His last workplace was the police station at Harbin's Acheng North Railway Station.
 
During his 34-year career, Dong solved hundreds of cases and detained 135 suspects. His patrols totaled about 3,000 kilometers of the railway, where he helped uncover 117 potential risks to the track and other infrastructure.
 
Yu Chunhai, a colleague, said Dong was a responsible and devoted officer. Soon after Dong joined the police office at Harbin Railway Station, the officers were deluged with reports of thefts from passengers. Dong often gave up his spare time to help tackle the issue.
 
Yu said the officers noticed that the same methods were being used to steal passengers' belongings at the station.
 
They had identified a suspect, but a lack of evidence meant they were unable to formally detain him. In response, Dong tracked the suspect for five straight days and apprehended him just as he reached out to steal a passenger's belongings.
 
Later, Dong and his colleagues solved several old cases and tackled a gang of thieves that was hanging about at the railway station.
 
Though he did not major in public security studies in college, Dong worked hard to learn new skills and knowledge so he could adapt to the changing needs of public security work.
 
He often told his colleagues, "I love being a police officer and can't get enough of the job." Regardless of his role at the station, his enthusiasm for his work never diminished, which encouraged those around him.
 
In August 1997, a 5-year-old girl was abducted in Anda, a city in Heilongjiang. Dong, who was working in the criminal investigation department at the time, thought the suspect might return to Anda by train.
 
After receiving an official notice with a photo of the suspect, he paid special attention to male passengers traveling alone or with a young child. After 50 days of searching, he arrested the suspect and rescued the girl.
   
Dong helps a passenger with her luggage at the railway station in Harbin, Heilongjiang province. [Photo provided to China Daily]
 
Mentor and friend
 
"Dong was my mentor. He always reminded me that when an emergency alarm sounds on a train, we need to collect all our equipment as quickly as possible and rush to the scene," said Wang Kai, a colleague who spent his first day as a railway police officer with Dong.
 
"I especially remember a trip from Harbin to Haikou (in Hainan province). He taught me how to combat drug trafficking on the train and told me about certain times and locations where it was easier to commit crimes. I grew quickly as a police officer under his guidance," Wang added. "With Dong's help, I began to love the job more and more. The best way to honor his memory is to be just like him."
 
Tao Baoyu, who was also mentored by Dong, said he was grateful for the impact his older colleague had on both his life and career.
 
"The year I spent working with Dong on the train was the year I made the fastest progress and gained a lot of experience. He made me realize that a police officer's job is much more than simply handling cases and answering the call when passengers need help. It also includes anti-terrorism work, prevention of explosions and fires, security checks and much more," he said.
Tao added that Dong was a strict mentor and a kind older friend, who had many rules at work and was meticulous when checking uniforms and equipment.
 
Meanwhile, Dong was kind to his colleagues and willing to work extra hours so others could rest.
"I remember that one time, a button fell off my uniform. When Dong saw it, he made a joke, saying I should start losing weight, even as he took out a needle and thread and started carefully sewing my clothes. At that moment, he was like a father to me," Tao said.
 
Knowing that Tao had a master's in law, Dong encouraged him to take the National Judicial Examination, a qualification that is a must-have for some legal professionals.
 
While Tao prepared for the exam, Dong undertook a lot of inspection work on trains on his behalf, which helped him pass the test.
 
The late officer also faced retaliation from some of those he had arrested when they were released from prison, even being stabbed in the stomach and waist.
 
When his wife and daughter asked him if he could find other work, they said he replied: "I love this job. I'm not afraid of a few little injuries."
 
Dong Mingwen, his daughter, said that reading was her father's only hobby outside of work.
 
"My father was so passionate about his job that he devoted almost his entire life to his career," she said.
 
"One time, the family was on vacation. During the train journey, my father saw a man jump out of a window to escape a police officer who was trying to arrest him, so he followed the suspect without hesitation. Then, he spent the rest of the vacation helping his colleagues with the case," she said.
 
Dong Qinwei's death has been a great blow to his family, who can't believe he has gone.
 
"My parents often took care of my 5-year-old son, and now he often asks why he can't see his grandfather and wants to know where he has gone. We just can't answer that question," Dong Mingwen said.