Liberty Times (LT):Organized crime groups have been increasingly meddling with politics since the Democratic Progressive Party government took office last year and the public wants the police to take a more active role in stopping the interference. What are your thoughts about the issue?
Chen Chia-chin (陳家欽): People’s right to free speech and assembly is protected by the police. What the police will not stand is a criminal organization hiding behind a political party that it had merged with. The police will not tolerate gangsters using protests as a pretext to instigate violence against legal assemblies and public hearings.
The public detests acts of violence committed by people affiliated with criminal organizations under the guise of political protest. My unshakable conviction is to mop them up completely.
Photo: Huang Yao-cheng, Taipei Times
Many incidents occurred after a public hearing was held to discuss food imports from five Japanese prefectures near the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant and there have been disturbances during regional public forums on pension forum. Earlier this year, Hong Kong democracy activists Joshua Wong (黃之鋒) and others were nearly assaulted when they arrived in Taiwan.
A police analysis of the incidents showed that the Chinese Unity Promotion Party was used as a cover by gang members to commit violent acts.
In response, the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office has launched a cross-agency operation with the Investigation Bureau, the Criminal Investigation Bureau, the police departments of Taipei and New Taipei City, and the police bureaus of Keelung and Taoyuan.
The operation is directed against the Bamboo Union’s chapters and squadrons. Through the investigation into their illegal activities, their leaders and key members will be identified as high-priority targets for law enforcement operations.
The probe is focused on finding the organization’s cash sources and cutting them off. Police and investigators are building an organized crime case and doing everything in their power to find evidence.
More importantly, the National Police Agency (NPA) has launched “Operation Neutralize Violence.” Every police department and bureau in the nation is taking part in it, which has no end date or time limit. In other words, this crackdown on organized crime will not end until the latter is destroyed.
LT: Police often arrest or summon suspects quickly, only to see them bailed out just as fast. Do you think there are people in the judiciary who are not taking the cases as seriously as they should, or do you think the laws are flawed?
Chen: We, the police, will strictly enforce the law regarding gang members who repeatedly commit violent acts at political protests and rallies. My view is that the prosecution and police are united against crime. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office and police are doing everything they can. It is a separate, though valid, discussion whether the laws are flawed and in need of amendment.
LT: During the incident on Sept. 24, when a scuffle broke out during the ‘Sing! China: Shanghai-Taipei Music Festival,’ police did not arrive at the scene until 40 minutes after the first call and a precinct chief was replaced as a result. What are your thoughts?
Chen: First of all, the Taipei Police Department deserves praise for identifying a man, surnamed Hu (胡), as a person of interest and calling him in for questioning on the evening of the incident. The efficiency and initiative the department has displayed is exemplary.
Before the music festival, we obtained intelligence that there was a high probability for a situation to develop. We contacted [National Taiwan University], but it said it does not allow a police presence on campus due to considerations of academic autonomy.
Then the altercation occurred and 110 calls were made to the police. Most of the calls were either short calls containing nothing but noise or came from people saying that an incident was taking place on the campus.
After 5pm, we received reports of a physical altercation, but the officers handling the calls mistakenly thought the incident was happening on campus and transferred the calls to university security, out of respect for the school. Because of this, police missed the opportunity to respond to the incident quickly.
The Taipei Police Department thought that the officers committed minor errors in handling the reports and I respect the department’s decision.
I expect police organizations to use the incident as a lesson in being alert in intelligence analysis, and fast and adaptable in directing a response, as well as in taking preventive measures.
LT: The government has said much about cracking down on fraud rings and narcotics. What are your thoughts?
Chen: In anti-fraud efforts, the most important thing is to tackle organized international fraud. The police are utilizing the NPA database to analyze crime, and are organizing task forces and coordinating with foreign police authorities through liaison officers.
We are also sending liaison officers on short-term assignments to communicate with local authorities.
Our anti-narcotics policy has four main priorities: comprehensively enforce the law on drug-related offenses, prevent drug use on campus, target designer drugs and check drug use in underprivileged rural areas.
Preventing drug use on campus is the main priority. I am from a common family and parents are afraid their children will use drugs.
Police will strive to prevent recidivism by known drug users and target drug dealers preying on students. Drugs have no place on school grounds.
Translated by staff writer Jonathan Chin
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