Complete History of the Shanghai Juvenile Police, 1947-1949

Abstract: The Shanghai Juvenile Police was a team established by the Shanghai Municipal Police Department in the later stages of the New Life Movement to respond to the call for thrift. Its members were mainly homeless children taken in by orphanages, and after receiving training, they were assigned to restaurants and eateries to enforce the task of encouraging frugality during banquets. However, the results were less than ideal, and the initiative was controversial, even subject to insults. Over time, the team underwent continuous transformations in its operations. With collaboration between the Health Bureau and the Police Department, it gradually evolved into a hygiene police force focused on inspecting cleanliness in alleyways. However, not long after, internal corruption within the juvenile police force and the Shanghai municipal government's increasingly strained finances led to its disbandment. In fact, it was never a fully authorized law enforcement agency, and its eventual failure was directly related to its unclear responsibilities, limited methods, and the low quality of its officers.