A video posted on social media showing four women being assaulted by seven men inside and outside an eatery in Tangshan, Hebei province, in the early hours of June 10 shocked the nation. The level of violence the women experienced as they expressed their displeasure at the unwanted attention of the men was shocking, as they were relentlessly beaten to a pulp.

A police investigation into what happened uncovered a variety of illegal behaviors and crimes committed by at least one of the main suspects, including illegal gambling, illegal detainment of others, and affray, which prompted a probe into whether the suspects were involved in any organized crime.

The disclosure of the Hebei judicial authorities' findings in their investigation is noteworthy. Not only has it led to 28 suspects being charged for being involved in organized crimes, but also 15 people are being investigated on suspicion that they provided the suspects with protection, including eight police officers in the city. That explains the necessity and prescience of the province's early decision that it must be investigators of other cities, Langfang and Hengshui, who should probe the assault on the women, rather than those of Tangshan.

It is good to see the investigators have followed the vines to get the melons. If left untouched, the melons would continue to spread new seeds to the fields, threatening public security in the city.

China is widely regarded as having among the best public security conditions in the world, thanks to its strict implementation of the rule of law, good public order and social atmosphere supported by law-abiding nationals, as well as the dedication of its police officers and other law enforcers. However, as anywhere, there are always a few bad apples that undo the good work of others.

The Tangshan investigation, which has ensnared police officers ranging from the district police sheriff to grassroots police officers, rings the alarm that any rotten fruit needs to be removed from the basket as early as possible lest it spoils the rest.

Identifying and removing the rotten fruit is one of the most effective ways to curb organized crime and maintain public order. The crackdown on organized crime and oversight of the public security and judicial authorities should go hand in hand.

More provinces should follow Hebei's example and employ cross-law enforcement supervision between cities to ensure the independence and objectivity of investigations into suspected criminal gangs. There should not be any respite in the campaigns targeting the two tumors of organized crime and its protection.

All provinces should draw lessons from the Tangshan case and conduct a thorough assessment of their respective public security and judicial systems to ensure the guardians of public security are worthy of that moniker.