Incapability of guardians

Abstract

At the time of the fieldwork, various security measures were in place to control crime in Tang Village, including the police, security guards, comprehensive assistant coordinators, landlords, and surveillance cameras. The police were regarded as the most incapable group by the respondents. The security guards were hired by the village committee to monitor the village, but their marginalized position reduced their effect on crime prevention. Comprehensive assistant coordinators were employed by the government to register all the floating population, which could be used to keep track of high-risk criminals. Landowners did not always help the coordinators in collecting identification of the tenants because it would deter them from renting, thereby affecting the owners’ income. Surveillance cameras were installed to monitor the streets but were unable to detect household theft.