A less than two metre tall robot police officer with a blue and white jacket begins to work in Changping District of Beijing on Tuesday, November 20, 2007.

(Photo: hf365.com)

A robot police officer has recently begun working in Changping District of Beijing, facilitating citizens who want to call the police.

The newspaper Beijing Times reported on Tuesday that four video cameras have been installed in the robot, three in the head and one pinhole camera on the chest, with which he can inspect his surroundings.

When needing to call the police, citizens need only press a red button on the robot's stomach and the robot will automatically connect with police headquarters. Speaking through a microphone installed on the robot's chest, citizens can speak directly with an officer.

According to Changping police, the robot officer will be mainly used in areas where cameras can't be installed and where incidents happen frequently, thus benefiting citizens and frightening criminals.

(Xinhua News Agency November 21, 2007)