Liberty Times (LT): There have been numerous prominent criminal cases in the past few weeks — to what standard do you hold yourself on the issue of public safety?
Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇): Any criminal activity is an act that disrupts society, so we must treat every criminal contravention with utmost seriousness.
In general, public safety in Taiwan is very good in comparison with other countries. We are ranked No. 20 globally for safety.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Regionally, we also do better than other nations. Regardless of where they are — in the mountains or by the sea; in the countryside or in the city — residents do not have to be afraid when venturing out at midnight.
While it is true that European countries such as Norway and Switzerland have safer environments, there are exceptions, such as the 2011 summer camp massacre in Norway.
One should not say, based on that one incident, that Norway does not have good public safety — and if such events can happen in Norway, it is inevitable that crime will also happen in Taiwan.
According to official statistics, there were more than 450,000 criminal cases in 2008, but by last year, the number across the nation had dropped to 290,000 — including fighting and slander cases.
Last year’s amendments to the Organized Crime Prevention Act (組織犯罪防制條例) allow judges to hand down heavier sentences, and help the police to crack down on the sudden spike in telecommunications scams that occurred in previous years.
It is evident that public safety in Taiwan has steadily improved over the years.
LT: What is the ministry’s plan to prevent more killings and dismemberments?
Hsu: We must ensure that the dismemberment cases do not start a chain of copycat killings. The police must be thanked for bringing the cases to a speedy conclusion.
It is crucial not to consider isolated cases when reflecting on the general environment. Such thinking could tarnish Taiwan’s international image — when public safety in the nation is actually good.
In 2008, there were 803 homicide cases, but that dropped to 399 cases last year. From media reports, it might appear that Taiwan has a poor public safety record, but that is not the case. Again, isolated cases should not be taken to represent the whole.
We are mulling the possibility of putting more police officers on patrol to bring down criminal activity. US research has shown that putting police on the streets has proven effective in lowering crime.
Although more police officers have been delaying their retirement due to changes in the pension system, the ministry will fill the ranks as soon as possible by holding annual examinations at the Central Police University and Taiwan Police College.
In our medium to long-term planning, we are analyzing the causes of homicides — whether they are driven by emotion or monetary gain — so that we can address the issue at its roots.
Meanwhile, we seek to implement preventive measures and include them in education.
We also hope that parents will help by emphasizing the importance of crime prevention in interactions at home.
LT: Premier William Lai (賴清德) has instructed the ministry to step up the fight against gang activity and illegal drugs. How will the ministry execute that order and show the public that something is being done?
Hsu:To prevent and control violence and organized crime, we need to begin by sweeping for drugs and searching for one of the sources of chaos: guns. Most importantly, we must stop guns from entering the country. We need to do that and actively search for them within the country.
The six major agencies — the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office, the National Police Agency (NPA), the Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau, the Military Police Command, the Coast Guard Administration and the Customs Administration — cooperate to ensure public safety, and to make certain that foreign businesses feel safe investing in Taiwan.
Compared with 30 years ago, illegal drugs have become more pervasive. The volume has increased, because after the illegal drug trade went global, the number of channels through which illegal drugs could enter the nation increased.
Today, due to the Internet, even people not schooled in chemical engineering can learn online how to produce illegal drugs.
However, the six major agencies in charge of drug enforcement published a New Generation Anti-Drug Strategy in January. Thus far, 4 tonnes of illegal drugs have been seized.
This year’s drug sweeps have been very effective. A nationwide drug enforcement plan was designed by the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office and the NPA, and the first operations launched in residential communities resulted in the arrests of more than 800 drug dealers. Prosecutors have detained nearly 300 people.
People can sense that drug use in Taiwan is waning. The premier has conducted several meetings on drug sweep plans and indicated that there is no upper limit to the drug prevention budget.
LT: How is the ministry going to respond to gangs posing as political parties and trying to interfere in Taiwanese politics, such as the China Unification Promotion Party’s use of violence in dealing with people who hold different political views? The party’s financial statement last year showed that it received no income from membership fees; behind-the-scenes funds from China allegedly support the group.
Hsu: Taiwan is a diverse and democratic society, and tolerates party politics. However, the government cannot tolerate gangs or other criminal organizations using political parties as a front, and it will crack down on organized crime.
From January to June, police arrested 972 people involved in criminal gangs, including six who were associated with political parties.
The Investigation Bureau and the NPA have been examining the financial flows of political parties.
In accordance with the Political Parties Act (政黨法), the ministry examines whether political parties have not nominated election candidates for a while. Political parties that breach the law will have their registrations revoked.
Everything will be handled in accordance with the law.
In view of the year-end nine-in-one elections, gangs or other organizations might use bribes or violence to interfere in the process and sway voting behavior.
They could use violence, coercion and threats to influence election results, or force people not to vote. The police will actively investigate such behavior.
I have instructed the NPA to investigate cases of bribery, rather than simply provide the Investigation Bureau with intelligence, as it used to do.
This year, police officers must be involved in the investigation of bribery cases. Efforts to investigate the “phantom population” have already begun.
Separately, the ministry is to implement a “third-party policing” strategy that integrates the authority and resources of other administrative agencies, such as fire departments, revenue services, civil defense groups, construction management offices, building managers and business owners.
The ministry will appoint liaisons and carry out joint inspections; actively investigate the settings that gangs invest in, manage or guard; increase spot checks on the “eight major industries” — karaoke bars, nightclubs, dance halls, clubs, cafes and tearooms, bars, barbershops and saunas in which illegal activities, such as prostitution, often occur — and cut off gangs and other criminal organizations’ sources of funding.
Translated by staff writers Jake Chung and Sherry Hsiao
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