For the past month or so, there have been several reports about murders and dismemberments. This has unsettled the public, so after taking over as minister of the interior, Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) has announced that he will raise police visibility to reduce crime. The question is whether this will put society at ease.
In the 19th century, French sociologist Emile Durkheim proposed the anomie theory. According to Durkheim’s theory, when social norms break down into a state of anomie — where it lacks the usual social or ethical standards — people will experience a lack of purpose and no longer know how to behave. That is said to lead to social disorder and rising crime rates.
The success of public order does not depend on falling crime statistics, nor does it depend on pretty policies; it depends on whether people can walk down the street without fear of being harassed.
In 1970, when police in New York began patrolling on foot, the results were miraculous, because everyone felt the police presence, crime was dealt with quickly and police officers could communicate directly with residents.
Following these results, George Kelling and James Wilson published an article called “Broken Windows” in the March 1982 issue of The Atlantic Monthly. According to the broken window theory, “if a window in a building is broken and is left unrepaired, all the rest of the windows will soon be broken.”
The increased police visibility put residents at ease and dispelled thoughts of crime in potential offenders.
The biggest proponent of the broken window theory was Rudy Giuliani, who served as mayor of New York for eight years beginning in 1994. He maintained public order not by prosecuting cases against the mafia, as he did during his time as a US attorney, but by focusing on the prevention of minor crimes, such as removing graffiti in subways and the strict enforcement of a ban on graffiti.
This might seem to be simply a way to keep the subways clean, but by enforcing ad hoc inspections and checks, any attempt at criminal behavior, such as armed robbery, selling drugs and theft, could be prevented thanks to early detection. As crime rates dropped, it became an important model.
The only problem was that results in cities that emulated New York were generally not very good. One main reason was the restrictions imposed by limited access to resources. If the police workforce was not increased, the workload for police officers increased, and that could easily result in perfunctory performance of duties simply in response to orders, creating waste.
With data from the Ministry of Civil Service showing that there is a shortage of 5,000 police officers in Taiwan, raising police visibility would result in an even greater shortage. However, no one knows how many more officers would be needed or how many years it would take to train them.
This is also why, as the public wants nothing more than social stability and public order, Hsu’s statements and pledges must not be allowed to just become another pretty slogan.
Wu Ching-chin is an associate professor of law at Aletheia University.
Translated by Perry Svensson
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
As former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrapped up his visit to the People’s Republic of China, he received his share of attention. Certainly, the trip must be seen within the full context of Ma’s life, that is, his eight-year presidency, the Sunflower movement and his failed Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, as well as his eight years as Taipei mayor with its posturing, accusations of money laundering, and ups and downs. Through all that, basic questions stand out: “What drives Ma? What is his end game?” Having observed and commented on Ma for decades, it is all ironically reminiscent of former US president Harry