Ⅶ. NATIONAL POLICE
I. Police Organization
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) has established the National Police Agency (NPA) to handle national police administrative affairs, to command and supervise all police agencies within the nation, and to execute police tasks. Organizations established under the NPA are:
1. Immigration Office: Handles entry and exit affairs.
2. Criminal Investigation Police Office: Responsible for crime prevention and investigation.
3. National Highway Police Office: Maintains traffic order and safety and investigates traffic accidents on national freeways.
4. Aviation Police Office: In charge of the security of air terminals and airports.
5. Railway Police Office: Maintains railway security throughout the ROC.
6. TaiwanPoliceCollege: In charge of regular police education.
7. Special Police First to Sixth Headquarters: Charged with safeguarding central government agencies, preparing for any contingencies that may arise, assisting with local security, protecting designated organizations, and enforcing security checks at airports.
8. Special Police Provincial Headquarters: In charge of security for those original Taiwan Provincial industries transferred to the Central Government and also of specific state-run industries.
9. National Parks Police Corps: In charge of maintenance of security, order and rescue work within ROC national parks.
10. Keelung, Taichung, Kaohsiung and Hualien Harbor Police Office: Handles Keelung, Taichung, Kaohsiung and HualienHarbor security.
11. Police Telecommunications Office: Handles management of police communications equipment.
12. Police Radio Station: In charge of publicity related to police regulations and policies.
13. Civil Defense Headquarters: In charge of collection, management, employment and duty-regulation of anti-air-raid intelligence.
14. Police Equipment Maintenance Plant: Handles maintenance and management of police weapons and vehicles.
For Taipei and KaohsiungCities, we have established city-level municipal police departments. There are 23 county (city) police bureaus in charge of police affairs involving special municipalities and counties (cities), respectively. Within these bureaus, there are police precincts, various police brigades and civil defense control centers. We also have police stations established under police precincts, which execute various police functions. The fundamental police units within the ROC are police beats.
In addition, this Ministry has established a CentralPoliceUniversity, which is responsible for higher police education and police academic research.
Ⅱ.Establishment of Professional and Efficient Public Security Measures
In recent years, the increasing convenience of cross-strait traffic, the progress of information technology and the step-by-step opening of cross-strait exchange policies have promoted various interactions of the international community, such as population flows, across the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. Because of this trend, newly developed transnational (trans-strait), high-tech, and cunning crimes are occurring which, together with traditional domestic illegal acts, are endangering our social security. Furthermore, concomitant with Taiwan’s steady macro economic growth, our national per capita income has gradually increased and the number of vehicles (automobiles) currently on the road in the ROC has increased from 18,500,658 in 2003 to 19,183,136 in 2004. Therefore, the question of stabilizing social security and maintaining traffic safety has become the main challenge to our police forces in this new era.
In order to cope with predicted severe future public security environmental and traffic conditions, this Ministry is developing a medium range (from 2002 to 2005) administrative program with the strategic purpose of establishing professional and efficient public security acts. We initially established five policies emphasizing promotion of crime prevention, constructing an efficient community security maintenance system, ensuring the safety and flow of traffic, reinforcing police service functions and enhancing professional police conduct. We have also implemented various programs in order to execute these five policies. We are determined successfully to achieve our national vision of being “security-priority, traffic-centered and service-oriented”.
Ⅲ.Police Administrative Functions
1. Education and Examinations
(1) ROC police education is divided into regular, refresher, and advanced level courses conducted by the TaiwanPoliceCollege, and by the Central Police University (CPU), respectively.
(2) Levels 2, 3 and 4 of the national special police examinations are held every year for people expecting to be commissioned as police officers.
Table 7-1 Relevant Statistics Concerning Police Education Graduates
Unit: Person
Year / Total / CentralPoliceUniversityDoctorate / GraduateSchool / College / Two-year Program / Junior / Refresher
2000 / 3 382 / 1 / 85 / 258 / 210 / - / 1 193
2001 / 3 781 / 3 / 111 / 257 / 210 / - / 1 161
2002 / 9 870 / 2 / 118 / 243 / 230 / - / 7 183
2003 / 14 066 / 6 / 108 / 240 / 229 / - / 11 555
2004 / 15 327 / 3 / 129 / 203 / 342 / - / 13 198
Table 7-1 Statistics Concerning Police Education Graduates (Continued)
Unit: Person
Year / TaiwanPoliceCollegeTwo-year Program / Supplementary Program
(for Graduates of One-year Programs)
2000 / 154 / 1 482
2001 / 588 / 1 451
2002 / 589 / 1 505
2003 / 563 / 1 365
2004 / 371 / 1 081
Table 7-2 Police Personnel Passing Special Police Examinations
Unit: Person
Year / Total / Level 2 Examination / Level 3 Examination / Level 4 Examination2000 / 1 352 / - / 552 / 800
2001 / 1 214 / - / 580 / 634
2002 / 926 / - / 386 / 540
2003 / 1 131 / - / 432 / 699
2004 / 888 / - / 376 / 512
2. Administrative Police
(1) This unit supervises all police agencies to investigate sex-trade venues and also to crack down on offences against public morals.
For the purpose of maintaining good social customs, we have demanded that our police forces conduct thorough investigations and crackdowns on places involved in the sex trade and probe into specific, concrete cases to broaden and to intensify these investigations.
In 2004, we seized a total of 6,621 offenders against morals and 8,828 persons involved in various crimes.
(2) Cracking down on illegal pornographic publications
In order effectively to eradicate the influence of pornographic publications on our young people, we have planned an “Enforcement Program to Crack Down on Illegal Pornographic Publications and Management of Pornographic Ads” during every summer vacation. This Ministry has demanded that police agencies make further investigations and furthermore take decisive measures against places that are involved in producing and selling (renting) pornographic magazines and videotapes (VCDs) such as publishers, printing plants, bookstores, bookstands and rental libraries.
During the summer vacation (from July to August) in 2004, our police forces seized 30,480 illegal pornographic magazines and 720,339 illegal videotapes and VCDs.
(3) Retaliating against improper pornographic ads
In order to eradicate sources of pornographic ads and effectively to block the supply of sex trade workers, we have proposed to the information authorities that those members of the media that accept the printing of pornographic ads be punished. With this point in mind, we are demanding that every police agency periodically crack down on such ads and we have assigned personnel specifically to keep watch on the printing of these relevant ads in the media.
In 2004, we banned 23,473 pornographic ads and brought 6,408 cases to justice.
(4) Clamping down on illegal vending
In order to maintain the free flow of traffic and also to maintain attractive appearances of our cities, we are persisting in demanding that all police agencies clamp down on illegal vendors who impair the safety and order of traffic by occupying the roads and sidewalks.
In 2004, in addition to 170,539 cases in which the police tried to persuade vendors from violating the law, we clamped down on 504,877 illegal vending (including 400,890 financial penalties, 10,160 confiscated carts and 3,827 dismantled stalls.)
(5) Seizing various gambling electronic gaming machines
Our police units are enforcing laws against those who conduct gambling activities by utilizing electronic gaming machines.
In 2004, we executed laws against gambling electronic gaming machines in a total of 1,514 cases involving 13,306 pieces of equipment thus bringing 3,316 persons to justice.
(6) Strengthening the management of police weapons
In accordance with “The Statue Governing Use of Arms by the Police” and “The Rules Administering Permits for Ordering, Sale and Possession of Police Fire Arms”, we have strengthened the examination and the strict control over ordering, sales and possession of electrical police batons and clubs and electronic weapons.
In 2004, we permitted the production and export of 67,141 electrical police batons, clubs and electronic weapons.
(7) Deploying police volunteers
In order to shorten the perceived distance between police and the public and to gain public trust, we have recruited volunteers in police service.
In 2004, we deployed 13,405 such volunteers.
3. Security Preservation Police
(1) Self-defense firearms control
Tightening of permit issuance
In the ROC permits for firearms must be renewed every two years as stipulated in the “Statute for Self-Defense Related to Firearms”. These permits shall not be issued to those with records of poor behavior or with criminal records. Whenever a possessor of a firearm permit is sentenced to imprisonment, this permit shall be revoked and the firearms in question purchased by the authorities.
Intensified checks: Police officers on the beat are required to conduct at least one check on licensed guns every month. When making household checks, inspectors at all levels must particularly target people allowed to possess guns. The point here is to control use of these guns. In addition, a regular and strict general check is very carefully carried out annually in order to ascertain details of guns, thus preventing their alteration and replacement.
(2) Assistance and guidance forcommunity neighborhood watches
In order to ensure safety and security within our society, we are offering assistance and guidance for the organization of private building management committees. By the end of 2004, we had established 12,402 such committees around the Taiwan and Fuchien Areas. (There were 2,585 relevant village-community patrol committees and 9,817 apartment patrol committees.)
(3) Organization and training of voluntary police
In 2004, we trained 25,394 voluntary police. (TaiwanProvince 20,588, TaipeiCity 3,019, KaohsiungCity 1,733 and KinmenCounty 54)
Table 7-3 Community Neighborhood Watches and Organization and Training of Voluntary Police
Unit：Team；Person
Year / Village-community Patrol Committee / Apartment Patrol Committee / Organization and Training of Voluntary Police2000 / 1 434 / 8 075 / 26 996
2001 / 2 003 / 9 009 / 27 274
2002 / 2 128 / 9 351 / 27 274
2003 / 2 395 / 9 689 / 25 822
2004 / 2 585 / 9 817 / 25 394
4. Criminal Investigation Police: The main task of this police unit is to prevent and investigate crimes.
In order to control offenses, we have divided the police functional duties into three categories: The overall prevention of criminal offense cases, various necessary precautions against juvenile delinquency and the personal safety of women and children. Our police have been promoting education related to crime reduction, establishing crime-prevention organizations, maintaining security for financial institutions, reinforcing communications among police officers on the beat and their police duty precincts, searching for stolen goods, keeping a close watch on hoodlums, examining drug addicts who are out of rehabilitation institutions, pursuing criminals at large, cracking down on professional gambling, preventing juvenile delinquency, protecting children and teenagers, and also preventing sexual assault crimes, domestic violence and child and juvenile flesh trade activities. Our grand purpose here is to eradicate the roots of crimes and to protect the safety of our people.
The ROC has as one of its major objectives increasing the clearance rate of criminal offense cases. Relevant authorities are thus demanding that every case be solved as quickly as possible, and every unsolved major case must be monitored and relentlessly pursued until it is solved. Because narcotics-offense cases and drug-related crimes account for 7.15% of all criminal cases, these types of violations have become a major source of trouble to society. In order to crack down on illegal drugs effectively, the National Police Agency of this Ministry has established an “Implementing Main Point for Police Agencies to Operate a Drug Buster Program” and a “Simultaneous Police Agencies Illegal Drugs Eradication Program”. This organization specifically states that its major function is to eradicate illegal drugs and narcotics, by cracking down on drugs domestically, by cutting off drug sources from abroad, and by intercepting drugs upon arrival. Accordingly, we are implementing various programs for full-scale crackdowns on drug supplies. Burglaries and fraud crimes account for 70.90% of all criminal cases in the ROC, thus seriously endangering social security. The NPA has launched a series of programs to exercise the coordinated powers of our government to remove the symptoms and the causes of these crimes, and thus effectively to prevent burglary and violent crimes. To this end, all police agencies must thoroughly carry out these aforementioned programs to raise the efficiency of crime investigation and prevention, to eradicate completely the causes of such crimes, and to lay the foundations of a secure society.
In 2004, a total of 12,706 violent crimes occurred in the Taiwan-Fuchien Areas, a decrease of 2.01% from the preceding year. Thus, our crime clearance rate was 62.36%. However, the clearance rates for serious injury & murder and non-negligent manslaughter, involuntary sex and kidnapping cases were over ninety percent.
In order to deal with the rising number of violent cases involving illegal firearms, the Criminal Investigation Office (CIO) of the National Police Agency has also implemented a “Supervisory Program for Suppression of Illegal Firearms” commencing on July 1, 2004 under the concepts and strategies of “suppressing illegal firearms to curb social security chaos”, “pursuing escaped criminals involved in gun crimes to prevent uncontrolled crimes” and “cracking down on gun-shooting cases to stabilize popular support for our police forces”. In order to prevent the entry of illegal firearms into our country, police are required to reinforce information collection within their own beats and also to collaborate with the units of the ROC Coastguard Administration to strengthen patrols along the coast and at sea and finally to examine strictly the luggage of passengers who enter the ROC through various airports and harbors. Furthermore, we are currently using automatic information processing systems comprising computers, microfilms and facsimiles to process information about relevant data concerning criminals. We are implementing these measures in order to improve our crime investigation and prevention efficiency. The Criminal Investigation Office established an “Automatic, Computerized Fingerprint Identification System” in 1993. This systemleads to the discovery of suspects involved in 5,127 criminal cases from the 13,072 cases investigated by military and judicial agencies in 2004. By providing this fingerprint identification system, we can rapidly assist in investigating crimes and effectively achieve the goal of combating crimes so as greatly to elevate crime clearance rates and judicial conviction rates.
Table 7-4 Suppressing Hoodlums and Organized Gangs
Year
/Heavy Plot
/General Hoodlums
/Put on Trial
/ Under Sentence of Reform /Executing Reform
/ ProjectCircular Order for the Arrest of a Criminal /
Complicity
2000 / 391 / 469 / 479 / 397 / 392 / 120 / 1512001 / 480 / 462 / 562 / 299 / 244 / 159 / 230
2002 / 562 / 406 / 595 / 358 / 212 / 184 / 251
2003 / 705 / 468 / 728 / 545 / 241 / 187 / 291
2004 / 728 / 727 / 797 / 557 / 283 / 175 / 464
Table 7-5 Violent Crimes in Taiwan-Fuchien Area
Year / Case Report (Case) / Clearance Rate (%)Total / Serious Injury & Murder / Kidnapping / Robbery & Forceful Taking / Serious Intimidation / Forcible Sexual Intercourse
2000 / 10 306 / 66.31 / 92.72 / 97.41 / 55.61 / 92.59 / 90.69
2001 / 14 327 / 59.91 / 89.13 / 97.37 / 50.43 / 77.14 / 91.62
2002 / 14 895 / 68.11 / 91.68 / 87.95 / 60.41 / 74.29 / 92.40
2003 / 12 966 / 71.55 / 94.17 / 98.63 / 62.14 / 73.33 / 95.46
2004 / 12 706 / 62.36 / 92.84 / 95.00 / 51.81 / 82.61 / 94.57
note: Clearance rate of violent crimes cover previous cleared crime cases. Thus the total may be more than 100%.
5. Traffic Police: The principal functions of the traffic police are to regulate traffic order, prevent traffic accidents and to ensure the safety and flow of traffic.
In 2004, the ROC traffic accident rate was 72.8 per 10,000 vehicles and the injury rate for traffic accidents was 91.6 per 10,000 persons. Both of these figures indicate an increase of 6.8 and 5.7 per 10,000 vehicles (persons) from 2003. The death rate was 1.4 per 10,000 persons, showing a decrease of 0.1 ten-thousandth points from 2003.
Table 7-6 Traffic Accidents in Taiwan-Fuchien Areas
(End of)Year / No. of Motor Vehicles
(10,000 Cars) / Accident Cases for Per 10,000 Motor Vehicles / Number of Accident Death for Per 10,000 Motor Vehicles / Number of Accident Injury for Per 10,000 Motor Vehicles
2000 / 1 702 / 31.8 / 2.0 / 40.1
2001 / 1 747 / 37.3 / 1.9 / 46.8
2002 / 1 791 / 48.8 / 1.6 / 62.0
2003 / 1 850 / 66.0 / 1.5 / 85.9
2004 / 1 918 / 71.2 / 1.4 / 91.6
Note: These figures include A1 class (referring to traffic accident victims who were either dead at the scene or who died within 24 hours of an accident) and A2 class (referring to traffic accident victims who were either injured or dead).
In order to maintain traffic order and to ensure traffic safety, the NPA of this Ministry is taking the following important measures:
(1) Launching “Road Priority and Safety First” campaign
We have launched a progressive four-year (2004-2007) campaign by integrating traffic construction, management, publicizing education, and law enforcement strategies.
Starting from July 1, 2004, the NPA enforced its three-phase law enforcement enhancement program on twenty selected violations that are severely encroaching on the rights-of-way.
(2) Strengthening highway flow and safety
Improving highway traffic jams on holidays
We are maintaining highway traffic flow at 36 road sections that are prone to traffic jams and we are successfully taking this action by deploying police at 125 road crossings.
National highway safety law enforcement
We have enhanced the publicizing and ticketing of five major violations such as riding on the highway shoulders, driving without maintaining safe distances, changing lanes randomly, low-speed vehicles driving in highway fast lanes, and large vehicles driving in the wrong lanes. All of these violations are severely endangered highway safety.
(3) Enforcing new traffic regulations on “Child Passenger Safety”
In order to cope with the implementation of small vehicles carrying child safety seats, we have established relevant processing regulations under the principle of persuasion during the first three months of 2004 from June to August with regular enforcement commencing in September.
(4) Implementing third phase traffic accident innovative measures
We have been enforcing the traffic accident handling responsible system, which stipulates that relevant handling authorities should provide accident related documents to the party concerned upon his/her request.
(5) Promoting “Enhancement Program for Administration of Taxi Driver’s Operations”
We accomplished the planning of many innovative measures in 2004, such as designing new registration and operating cards, holding tests and seminars in different regions and amending relevant laws and regulations.