Beijing will establish a new emergency team, made up of police and health experts, to respond to disturbances by mentally ill patients.

The initiative will begin next month at both the municipal and district levels. The team will respond quickly to calm both the victims and the mentally ill. Social workers will also participate.

The city intends to offer training to police under a newly-approved directive.

The directive stipulates that team will examine the status of the mental patients and contact family members to obtain any medical background, according to an official with the police bureau.

Meanwhile, police will also collect detailed data on the mentally ill during the coming months as part of its management plan on the run-up to the 2008 Olympic Games.

According to figures from the city's health bureau, Beijing has about 150,000 mentally ill people and another 500,000 people who suffer from severe depression.