Tourists descend

The documentary has turned the busy police station into a tourist attraction, with people coming from across the country, and even the world, to take photos on its doorstep.

Some visitors mimic a suspect being apprehended, with hands clasped behind their heads.

Yang Zhenzheng, a Beijing resident, watches the documentary series every Friday and has become an avid fan. He visited the station recently to tick it off his Changsha bucketlist. Yang took photos with the station in the background and said it was like seeing a TV icon in person.

However, police are wary of the intrusiveness of the tourists. They have turned off the loudspeaker to remind people to be civilized when taking photos and videos, said station head Shen Jiulin, as some of the uncooperative tourists get overexcited and do not follow police advice.

Shen is a fixture in the documentary series. He appears at the end of each episode to explain laws and regulations the suspects have violated, and reminds viewers to learn from the perpetrators' mistakes.

"What we want people to get from the series is that they can gain knowledge of the law through a more entertaining format, so they are reminded to not repeat other's mistakes," he said.

The police station received more than 25,000 calls last year, with the highest number 215 in a single day. The station only has about 130 officers and assistants, and is severely understaffed, Shen said.

They are unable to take a work break on Saturdays, and it is not guaranteed that they can do so on Sundays, he added.