Shanghai kicked off a three-week training program for more than 2,500 policemen Monday as the 2010 World Expo approaches, local public security authorities said.

The trainees, expected to work inside the Expo site, will be given lessons in dressing and speaking to improve their service quality, said Cheng Jiulong, deputy head of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau.

They will also be trained to better cope with crimes and medical emergencies during the Expo, Cheng said.

The public security department will soon launch another training program for the city's general policemen on explosive detection and management of visitor flows to ensure a safe World Expo, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 23, 2010)