Minister of the Interior Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) yesterday said a police crackdown on gang members in Taichung would continue until no room is left for them to exist.
“We must show our determination to fight the underworld with constant action,” Jiang said.
The minister made his remarks during a meeting on public order-related issues chaired by Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強). National Police Agency Director-General Wang Cho-chiun (王卓鈞).
Hu has said that starting this week, the monthly meeting of Taichung law-enforcement agencies would be held weekly.
“The monthly meeting will now become a weekly event until the public believes in the government, believes in the police and believes in our ability to maintain public order,” Hu said. “While we fight the mafia, we can also use some help, in terms of financial and manpower support from the central government.”
“We will begin from the city. We will make people feel safe again,” Jiang said.
Asked to confirm a story in the Chinese-language Apple Daily News yesterday that a 17-year-old was suspected of being the assassin of gangster Weng Chi-nan (翁奇楠) last month and that Weng’s friends had threatened to kill the teenager in retaliation, Jiang said he was fully aware of what was going on, but would not provide specifics at the moment.
“All the investigators involved in the case are experienced officers and I am confident they will arrest the right guy within the shortest time,” Jiang said.
Meanwhile, Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) Commissioner Lin Teh-hua (林德華) took advantage of activities surrounding Police Day — which falls today — to encourage his officers.
The CIB organized a ceremony to promote or reward officers who had remarkable performance records.
Lin said he made a few changes to the activity because police morale was low following recent incidents involving officers, such as Weng’s murder.
“I asked officers who were going to be promoted or awarded to wear their uniforms rather than the suits that criminal investigation officers usually wear on formal occasions,” Lin said. “Also, I bought watermelons and sent them as Police Day gifts to CIB offices.”
For practical reasons in the field, officers from criminal investigation units do not have to wear uniforms.
Lin said he requested that the officers put on their uniforms because he wanted to remind them that criminal investigation officers are also part of the force and should be proud of it.
“If you want others to respect you, you must begin by respecting and being proud of yourself,” he said.
Lin reportedly bought 310 watermelons as presents to police officers.
“June 15 is Police Day and I think my coworkers need to be cheered,” Lin said. “Watermelons are good and joyful and I can help these watermelon farmers at the same time.”
He said that because of unstable weather conditions recently, watermelon farmers had been suffering.
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