Premier puts career on the line for a `war on criminals'

Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday put his political career on the line, saying that he would resign and withdraw from politics for good if the crime rate does not drop within six months.

"I will not look for excuses for failure, but I will seek directions to move toward success," Su said.

The premier made the remarks at a press conference following a cross-departmental meeting aimed at strengthening public security.

"It is the 50th day since I took the oath of office and I hereby announce a war on criminals," Su said. "Making it so people can live and work happily is the bottom line for the government and I am going to make that happen. It will be our shame if the government cannot shield its people from crime."

The premier said 33 resolutions had been worked out during yesterday's meeting and he will push his fellow Cabinet members to carry them out.

Su also urged the public not to judge law enforcement officers' work by statistics.

But he did not explain how to determine if the crime rate had dropped six months from now.

"Busting numerous criminals, confiscating lots of illegal guns or cracking down on tonnes of drugs does not necessarily mean that these law enforcement officers have done a good job," Su said.

"If they really do well, it's possible that there won't be a [noticeable] crackdown because criminals may be too scared to commit crimes," he said.

Su also asked judges to "do their jobs carefully and fast."