Shinan district, Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, is promoting grassroots social governance with a series of new measures meant to make Qingdao safer, according to a recent report on China Central Television.

The district is striving to improve its crime prevention and control systems, as well as the public security system, in order to create a safer and happier environment for residents. Shinan recently won China's highest honor for comprehensive governance – the only district in the province to do so.

Shinan is the provincial leader in carrying out management system reforms in all of its communities and encouraging local enterprises and organizations to contribute to regional development. A total of 394 influential enterprises and departments have joined the reform work.

Budgets for local communities in the district have been increased to 1.1 million yuan ($158,431) from 300,000 yuan, and an incubation center for social organization has been set up in all communities, promoting public participation in social governance.

Support for disabled and poor people has been ramped up and a three-year plan to help disadvantaged people has been issued. To date, over 30 million yuan has been invested in six major public welfare projects, benefiting more than 7,000 locals.

The district has also established the city's first mediation committee for labor and consumption disputes, as well as the first "WeChat judge workroom" in China, which has already dealt with 1,126 civil disputes online.

A mediation group consisting of 587 lawyers, property administrators, and local representatives has also handled about 3,900 disputes, over 98 percent of which were successfully resolved.

In addition, about 85,000 locals in the district have registered as volunteers to help with public security and provide services for residents.