Office ladies in Xicheng district, Beijing, next year will have the opportunity to join the volunteer group "Xicheng Dama," whose numbers have reached 81,885 in 2018. "Xicheng Dama" refers to a group of volunteers, usually women in their late middle age.

Local residents organized the group under the guidance of the Xicheng government to support the police on public security matters in the district, an anonymous official from the Xicheng volunteer guidance center told the Global Times on Monday.

Terry Crossman, a 62-year-old American who has lived in Beijing for 23 years, became a member of the Dama group in August 2017. He usually patrols around the Shichahai Lake on his electric bicycle, offering help to those in need.

They have played a major role in fire protection, serving age and environment protection, Beijing Evening News reported Saturday, citing the Xicheng comprehensive management office, which is the department in charge of "Xicheng Dama." The office said that they plan to recruit younger office ladies to cover the lunch hour when Dama (aunt) are taking a break.

Once recruited, these office ladies will wear red vests and armbands saying, "shoudu zhi'an zhiyuanzhe" (capital public security volunteer), and will patrol the community at lunch time, the report said.

They can help Dama cover the time gap while taking a walk after lunch, the Beijing Evening News reported. Xicheng district started to build a Dama group to help serve the community in 2015. The group has helped local police arrest more than 6,000 suspects.

The district comprehensive office also plans to hold an exhibit to demonstrate the group's work and style, according to the Beijing Evening News.

This article was originally published in Global Times.