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Hsieh Fan-fan greens the ranks of country's police

Hsieh Fan-fan, right, took over as Ilan County police chief from her predecessor Wu Hsing-jen, left, last week. PHOTO: CHIANG CHIH-MING, TAIPEI TIMES

Hsieh Fan-fan (謝芬芬) became the nation's first female county police chief last Wednesday but her new job was also criticized as a reflection of DPP favoritism.

The appointment as police chief for Ilan County makes Hsieh the top female police officer in the country as well as the highest-ranking DPP policewoman.

There are 23 county and city police headquarters under the National Police Administration (NPA). Deputy directors-general and directors-general of the NPA are drawn from their ranks.

Hsieh, 53, who has a son and a daughter, decided to dedicate herself to the force after her husband died of cancer in 1981. It was also the year she passed the entrance exam for the Central Police Col-lege's two-year program. Two years later, she graduated with an associate degree and began her first job as an assistant to the Taipei City Police's Personnel Department.

She started her police career at the system's lowest possible level.

The two-year program was cancelled in 1996, when the Central Police College became the Central Police University.

"She is too young for this. It is very difficult to convince people that her promotion has nothing to do with DPP favoritism."

Wu Hsing-jen, former Ilan County police chief

Prior to her promotion last Wednesday, Hsieh was the chief of the security department at the Presidential Office. She was in charge of security for both the Presidential Office and the presidential residence in Taipei. She was also the first female presidential bodyguard and the first female chief of the president's security guards.

NPA Senior Inspector Lee Chiu-ming (李秋明) took over Hsieh's position as chief of the security department at the Presidential Office after Hsieh left.

Lee was President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) classmate in high school and NPA Director-General Wang Chin-wang's (王進旺) classmate in the academy.

Both Hsieh and Lee joined the DPP on Jan. 21.

Hsieh's relationship with the president became closer when Chen, as Taipei mayor, promoted her from director of the Women's Police Division to the director of the city police's Juvenile Affairs Division.

The position at the Juvenile Affairs Division was seen as important because officers who have served in that role have all became inspectors. Hsieh was the first female head of the division.

Hsieh has declined requests for media interviews since taking up her new job last week.

Throughout her police career, Hsieh has kept a low profile. This may explain why she has been able to earn promotions while her classmates in the academy are still serving as middle-ranking officers.

Ilan's KMT and PFP county councilors cried foul over Hsieh's latest appointment.

"There are many officers qualified for this post. Hsieh is definitely not the best candidate. But she was chosen because she is one of the few high-ranking DPP police officers," said Ilan County Council Speaker Chang Jian-rong (張建榮) of the KMT.

Most officers of Hsieh's rank, three stripes with two stars, graduated from the Central Police University between 1969 and 1979. Hsieh graduated in 1983.

Former Ilan County police chief Wu Hsing-jen (吳幸仁) also complained about Hsieh's promotion.

"She is too young for this. It is very difficult to convince people that her promotion has nothing to do with DPP favoritism," Wu said.

Wu was made the new head of the NPA's business section.

In a press release distributed on the same day as Hsieh assumed her new job, the NPA denied that favoritism played a part in Hsieh's selection.

The release said that her promotion followed a meeting between the director-general and Ilan County Commissioner Liu Shou-cheng (劉守成) on Jan. 24, which was confirmed by the commissioner.

"On Jan. 24, Wang came to visit me with a list of three candidates' names. He said that these three officers were all qualified for the job and asked me to pick one. Hsieh was the one we chose during the meeting. It has nothing to do with politics," Liu said.

Hsieh said at her welcoming party at the Ilan County Police Station that the allegations of favoritism will not faze her.

"I have always reminded myself to do my job well. That is my motto. In addition, a police officer's job is to serve the people and maintain public order instead of getting involved in politics, isn't it?" she said.
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