A Blind Policeman Makes a Chinese Town Free of Crimes For Ten Years

One would typically think that a blind policeman would amount to no more than a Keystone cop. But Pan Yong, 43, a policeman in southern China, has managed to be a competent policeman despite losing his sight in 2002 after developing glaucoma and cataracts.

Competent is actually severely underselling his job— during his time patrolling, he has been subject to zero criminal cases, public security cases, or traffic accidents. It should be added he is also the only policeman stationed in his area of supervision. Patrolling a district consisting of three administrative villages and 13 smaller village collectives along 38 kilometers of railroad tracks, it is not as if he is operating along a completely insignificant area.

Pan receives assistance from his wife, Tao Hongying, 46. Tao is a security guard at the local railway station; she assists her husband daily with security checks around the town. Still, this feat is impressive.

Pan works at the Lanba police station in Guiyang, the capital of China’s Guizhou province. Upon developing his debilitating physical conditions, Pan thought his life was essential over; serving his community has reinvigorated him, and helped him with developing a purpose in life. His marriage to Tao in 2004 also helped him with motivation and starting anew.

The two have called it “fate” that they indeed met. His job sounds like it was meant to be as well: Pan has said “grew up in a police station.” He is known for being hardworking and modest– he calls his position insignificant– and he considers himself to be a workaholic. Ultimately, Pan really enjoys what he does, which is something for which all of humanity strives.

Tao was attracted to Pan because of his willpower; many would have quit should they have been in the situation as Pan. Pan’s sense of sound is as good as ever– it is a common phenomenon for one sense to overcompensate when another is lacking or absent altogether– and this helps him with his position. In other words, he can still hear the trains coming.

Pan ultimately trusts his wife, which is of utmost importance. He told reporters, “When I hold her arm I always walk freely, like nothing can trip me.”