Search
Browse By Day
Browse By Time
Browse By Person
Browse By Mini-Conference
Browse By Division
Browse By Session or Event Type
Browse Sessions by Fields of Interest
Browse Papers by Fields of Interest
Search Tips
Conference
Location
About APSA
Personal Schedule
Change Preferences / Time Zone
Sign In
X (Twitter)
Given the paucity of research on everyday policing in China, this article investigates how frontline police deal with mundane transgressions. Based on a provincial dataset of 23,575 prostitution penalty decisions in 2019, it appears that lighter penalties were imposed for prostitution occurring in entertainment venues than for infractions in other places. The leniency related to entertainment venues was significantly attenuated during the strike-hard campaign. Frontline police thus appear to adjust their punishment according to external pressure instead of engaging in a continuous crackdown on offenses for deterrence and social order. The findings enrich the understanding of crime fighting and the daily functions of the local state in China.