Chen Shaojun is the captain of the Intelligence Synthesis Brigade of the Intelligence Command Center of the Haidong City Public Security Bureau in Qinghai Province. His work has taken him to forensic laboratories, earthquake relief sites, anti-fraud battlefields, and the front lines of the anti-gang campaign. Not long ago, Chen Shaojun was selected as one of the "Most Beautiful Grassroots Police Officers" for 2025. This "technology pioneer" in the police force uses technology as his pen and data as his shield, interpreting the mission and responsibility of the people's police in the new era through innovative practices.
"The cases are getting more and more complicated now, and relying solely on our 'old partners' isn't enough."
In the summer of 2014, driven by his passion for criminal science, Chen Shaojun joined the police force. At that time, the Haidong City Public Security Bureau's forensic laboratory consisted of three offices, five old testing instruments, and stacks of paper reports piled up in cabinets. When veteran forensic pathologist He Zhong showed him around, he pointed to the microscope on the lab bench and said, "This 'old buddy' has been with us for eight years; many cases have relied on it to find clues. Now, cases are becoming increasingly complex, and relying solely on this 'old buddy' isn't enough."
Upon entering the lab, Chen Shaojun started with the most basic toxicology analysis, meticulously recording every step—sample pretreatment, instrument operation, and data interpretation—in his notebook. In one traffic accident investigation, Chen Shaojun spent an entire afternoon in front of the microscope, repeatedly comparing and confirming data. "Forensic technology allows for no carelessness; even a difference of 0.1 milligrams in the dosage of toxicant can affect the nature of the case," his senior colleague's words stuck in his mind.
In 2018, Chen Shaojun discovered that the efficiency of paperwork in the forensic laboratory urgently needed improvement. Data in forensic reports required repeated verification, and archiving relied entirely on paper documents, which was not only inefficient but also prone to errors. "Since data is the core, could we use a system to connect the data, allowing reports to be generated automatically, data to be verified automatically, and files to be archived automatically?" An idea for developing a "smart laboratory management system" emerged in his mind.
Chen Shaojun acted immediately, drawing five versions of the flowchart alone. After half a month of database structure design, ensuring the system could meet all the laboratory's needs, he began writing code. During that time, he handled case examinations during the day and stayed in the office writing programs at night, often working late into the night.
The most challenging aspect was implementing the "automatic report generation" function. To debug the algorithm, Chen Shaojun worked three consecutive all-nighters until the system could accurately extract evidence data and generate standardized reports. After the system went live, the results were remarkable: paperwork efficiency increased by 70%, the data error rate dropped to zero, and "electronic archiving" was achieved, saving significant paper storage costs. The system also features an intelligent reminder function, automatically indicating the expiration date and review time of evidence.
"Forensic technology is the 'ironclad evidence' for solving cases, and it cannot tolerate the slightest flaw; it must be handled with utmost care," Chen Shaojun said. To date, none of the thousands of forensic reports he has issued have been incorrect, and there have been no complaints.
"Digital Guardians" in the Fight Against Fraud
One afternoon in March 2024, Ms. Wang, a resident of Haidong, received an AI-powered anti-fraud call, which saved her from a potential loss of 20,000 yuan. She later exclaimed excitedly, "If it weren't for this call, my hard-earned money would be gone!" This call came from the "Automatic Anti-Fraud Warning Push System" developed by Chen Shaojun.
In 2023, while handling a fraud case, Chen Shaojun realized that "anti-fraud cannot rely solely on 'pursuit,' but also on 'prevention,'" and that it was necessary to cut off the fraud chain from a technical perspective. "Traditional early warning models are too passive; we must stay ahead of the fraudsters!" Chen Shaojun said.
During that period, Chen Shaojun immersed himself in data, deeply analyzing the technical architecture of the fraud platform. He proposed a three-pronged approach of "intelligent early warning - precise dissuasion - source crackdown," which ultimately uncovered a criminal network spanning more than 70 servers. His colleagues in the task force all said, "Shaojun's approach to cases is different; he can always find new breakthroughs from a technical perspective."
Over the next six months, Chen Shaojun led his team to analyze nearly five years of telecom fraud cases, summarizing the characteristics of 12 types of fraud methods, such as "impersonating public security, procuratorate and court officials" and "brushing orders for rebates." They eventually developed two distinctive systems: the "Anti-Fraud Early Warning Automatic Push System" sends warnings to potential victims through an AI telephone robot that can simulate human voices; and the "'Two Cards' Risk Verification System" is embedded in bank branches, allowing people to identify fraud risks by scanning a code when applying for bank cards.
In addition to technological prevention and control, Chen Shaojun also promoted a "technology + publicity" model to raise public awareness of fraud prevention. He opened an "anti-fraud classroom" in a local primary school, using games and interactive Q&A sessions to popularize anti-fraud knowledge among children.
"On-site investigation requires not only hands, but also heart."
In May 2024, at the Haidong City Public Security Bureau's Law Enforcement and Case Handling Center, police officers were interrogating a suspect accused of theft. Unlike previous interrogations, the laptop on the interrogation table displayed the suspect's facial micro-expression analysis data—this was the "Smart Eyes Micro-expression Lie Detection Software" developed by Chen Shaojun. This software captures changes in the suspect's micro-expressions through a camera and combines this with psychological models to help police officers determine the veracity of the suspect's statements.
"During interrogation, a suspect's micro-expressions often reflect his psychological state. For example, when a suspect lies, micro-expressions such as dilated pupils and shifty eyes may appear," Chen Shaojun explained. "This software can automatically identify these micro-expressions and provide a credibility score, helping police officers find breakthroughs in interrogation."
Currently, this software has been put into trial use in several case-handling units of the Haidong Municipal Public Security Bureau and is affectionately called "interrogation companion" by the police officers. However, at a recent technical seminar, Chen Shaojun repeatedly emphasized: "AI is only an auxiliary tool. No matter how advanced the technology is, it cannot replace the professional judgment of the police officers."
Chen Shaojun also places great emphasis on the transmission of skills. He led the team to participate in the provincial skills competition for three consecutive sessions, providing hands-on guidance to new recruits. When a newly recruited colleague was so nervous during his first crime scene investigation, Chen Shaojun comforted him, saying, "Don't be nervous, I was like that at the beginning too. Remember, crime scene investigation requires not only your hands, but also your heart."
Under Chen Shaojun's leadership, more and more young police officers in Haidong City began to study technology and develop a number of practical police systems, such as the "Intelligent Traffic Management System" and the "Floating Population Management Platform".
“Shao Jun is our role model. He showed us the enormous potential of technology in public security work,” said Liu Jiamin, a young police officer.
(Reported by He Chunzhong, China Youth Daily/China Youth Network)
