The Zhejiang province police force hopes to recruit snipers and bomb disposal technicians from outside its ranks.

The authority wants to fill 28 positions and has cast its net wider to make up for a chronic shortfall in candidates.

The application period began on Wednesday and runs until Monday.

Zhang Xinsong, who is in charge of the recruitment, said the provincial public security department received more than 150 applications in the first two days.

"Many of them will be eliminated in the first round because they don't meet the basic requirements," he said.

To stand a chance of filling one of the vacancies - 15 for snipers and 13 for explosive ordnance disposal technicians, candidates must meet a strict set of criteria.

Zhang said a potential sniper must be a former soldier who "finished in the top six of a military competition" or a sportsman who has taken part in a national shooting contest.

"Applications are being received online," he said on Sunday, explaining that after written test and background checks, practical tests will include shooting a target 100 meters away and dismantling an explosive device.

Sniper candidates must be able to run 2,700 meters in 12 minutes to qualify, while for potential EOD technicians its 2,600 meters.

Zhang added that although the authority's tactical unit has female officers, the ongoing recruitment campaign is open only to men.

Positions with the police often attract many applicants. Yet due to strict requirements the last three recruitment drives for tactical units has resulted in just 300 new officers, 10 percent of the province's SWAT team.

Previously, the Zhejiang police would recruit from with its public security department, but the province opened applications to other departments in 2005, 2006 and 2012.

This year is the first time the provincial police has attempted to hire civilians as snipers and EOD technicians, who are in short supply and take a long time to train.

According to Metro Express newspaper, snipers and EOD technicians make up less than 3 percent of Zhejiang's 3,000-strong tactical force.

Zhang said China reassigns 100 tactical officials to provincial posts every year, mostly from its counterterrorism unit, yet even does not meet the demand.

A Shanghai police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the public recruitment plan is aimed at attract candidates with a particular skill set.

"For example, retired soldiers are already good at shooting, and sports school graduates are experts in martial arts," he said.

Only about 30 students at Zhejiang Police College take tactical-unit training as a major, partially because it accepts only local students and graduates first need to pass the civil service examination to be employed.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Nanjing Forest Police College in Jiangsu province said that even though more than 190 graduates pass the college's tactical-unit test every year, many do not stay in Jiangsu, with some applying to police in other provinces.

shiyingying@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 02/25/2013 page5)