The bureau traditionally honors volunteer crime fighters with praise and monetary rewards on the 10th day of each month - a practice that began in 1990.

Three of this month's honorees were praised for apprehending a thief who had stabbed a lottery-booth clerk.

Zhang Yaliang, a 65-year-old retired worker, Fan Huawei, 30, an employee of the Jianshan District Personnel Bureau and Lu Yongsheng, 46, a vendor, fought with the knife-wielding robber on September 5. The three stopped the man as he rushed out of the booth in Jianshan District after stabbing an employee.

After a violent struggle, the criminal was captured and sent to nearby police station, the bureau revealed yesterday.

The salesman, surnamed Wang, was stabbed in the head and arms, but none of his injuries are life-threatening, according to the bureau.

In another case, Qiu Jianping from Baoshan District was stabbed in the waist when he struggled with two thieves alone on September 12.

"When Qiu, a worker at the Duoduo Furniture Factory, found two men filching offices in his factory, he bravely fought with them. Finally, he caught one with the help of colleagues who had just arrived on the scene," said Fang Jie, the bureau's spokeswoman.

Under the police's hero compensation rule, Qiu could receive a maximum award of 4,000 yuan (US$482) since he was injured while fighting crime, Fang added.

(eastday.com October 11, 2002)