The word 警察局 is formed by combining three meaningful characters: 警 (jǐng), which conveys the idea of alertness or vigilance; 察 (chá), meaning to observe or investigate; together they form 警察 (jǐngchá), meaning "police", a person who is vigilant and investigates. The third character, 局 (jú), means a bureau or office. Thus, the compound logically builds from the concept of the personnel (警察) to the physical or institutional place where they work (局), resulting in the meaning "police station".