Police give citizens sneak peek at how IDs are made

Police give citizens sneak peek at how IDs are made

• Source: Global Times
• [08:51 March 24 2011]
• Comments

An ID center employee and a visitor look over a selection of ID cards during Wednesday's tour. Photo: CFP

The center responsible for producing all Beijing residents' ID cards opened its doors to visitors for the first time Wednesday as part of an open day for citizens to evaluate the police.

During the open house, police officers with the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau's (PSB) ID card center briefly explained how ID cards are made and how to spot a fake ID card to over 100 visitors, a press release from the center detailed Wednesday.

Police also asked residents for feedback on their previous service when making and issuing ID cards.

Bad ID photos have drawn fire in the past, as the photographs must be taken at appointed ID card centers, the Jiangnan Times reported in August 2006.

"Everybody has the right to have a beautiful ID card photo, but many people complain that their photos make them look like escaped criminals or the deceased, yet they have no chance to take a new one," a Nanjing resident surnamed Fu told the newspaper.

The ID card center took photos for Wednesday's visitors for souvenirs and promised to improve on card photos and issuance in the future.

"There are no concerns about secrecy, individuals' privacy or card-making techniques, as the visitors could not go everywhere," Guan Xihua, an officer with the population management corps of the PSB, told the Global Times Wednesday.

Beijing started using second-generation ID cards in 2004, which include a chip with the bearer's information encoded in it.

The ID card center has never before opened to visitors except for technical workers who were restricted to their work spaces, the Beijing Evening News reported in September 2004.

Global Times