TAIYUAN, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Feng Liming, 37, is a retired soldier, but he often dresses like a woman when he is out.
Feng always carries a wig, a pair of sunglasses and a woman blouse with him. Pickpockets could appear at any time, so he is always ready to disguise himself.
"Today's bad guys have learned and developed some anti-detection abilities, so I have to transform myself into a college student or an office lady within seconds," Feng said.
Almost every pickpocket, robber and drug user in north China's Taiyuan City knows and fears him.
Feng graduated from the police vocational college of Shanxi Province in 2009, but failed to pass the civil servant examination three times, preventing him from becoming a police officer.
He worked other jobs instead, but never gave up his part-time pursuits as an anti-pickpocket volunteer.
Over the past 19 years, Feng has caught more than 1,200 suspects, most of them pickpockets, robbers and drug users.
"As long as someone is breaking the law, I'm obliged to hunt them down until I catch them," he said.
When he was a high school student, he always wanted a mountain bike. His dream finally came true, but the bike was stolen just days after he got it.
"I wished for a world without thieves and felt the urge to do something," he said.
In 1998, he joined the military to "become strong and learn skills." One day in 1999, just as he got off a bus, he heard a cry. A woman was shouting that her bag had just been grabbed. The woman gestured toward a man riding a bicycle with a woman's bag hanging from the handlebars. He chased after the thief and shoved him to the ground.
Later on, he learned that the bag contained a large sum of cash the woman was carrying to cover medical fees. She was seriously ill.
He was inspired by the experience and later organized an anti-pickpocket team with his friends and comrades. Before each mission, he would come up with a plan with his teammates, detailing everyone's assigned position and duties.
His anti-pickpocket operations can be broken down into three steps: identifying, stalking and catching. Years of experience have given him and his team eyes that are able to identify suspected pickpockets quickly.
In addition to catching bad guys, he also tries to help those in need and once saved a suicidal woman.
Criminals have left scars and injuries all over his body. A pickpocket once sliced the blood vessels, nerves and tendon between his fourth and fifth fingers. He had to undergo a minor operation involving a dozen stitches.
Feng's wife dares not walk with him on the street, fearing criminals might recognize him, and his child does not get much quality time with him. Feeling guilty, Feng takes every chance he can to spend time with his family and do housework.
"I was extremely worried about his safety at first. But later I learned how good he is at this, and I convinced myself to rest assured as he always comes home on time," said his wife.
Early this year, he was temporarily transferred to the local police station from his current employer to assist police officers in handling cases, bringing him one step closer to becoming a real policeman.
"Catching pickpockets has become a lifetime habit for me -- one I can't quit and don't want to give up," Feng said. "Whether I become a policeman or not, I will continue to do it."
(Liu Yelin also contributed to the reporting)
