I'm not SURE what future scholars will write when they write about the police of today's Taiwan. Will they write about the heroes who died while rescuing people after a series of disasters? Will they write about the heroic efforts to maintain deteriorating public order in the midst of a recession, or will they write about the continuous scandals?
When officials become pirates, not only are people hurt as a result, but the spirit of others in the profession is hurt as well. The police take risks and defy hardship, sacrificing their family life only to be totally eclipsed by scandals. Regrettably, a crisis of trust is already appearing between the public and the police as well as among officers themselves.
Trust can be defined as public approval of the police force's ability to maintain order, protect the public and effectively control crime as well as a willingness to provide support, information and cooperation. On an organizational-cultural level, it could be a catalyst for individual officers to identify with organizational values, to work for honest cooperation and to develop camaraderie.
The status of the police in Taiwan over the last 100 years has not grown in step with democratic policies. It is true that the bad external situation and the public's cold attitude toward the rule of law is the biggest obstacle for the police, but lawbreakers within the force cancel out the sacrifices and efforts of the great majority of officers to uphold social order. This is a major reason that the image and the dignity of the force is plummeting.
Police authorities should reflect upon the shortcomings of the force. Apart from the need to strengthen internal management, establish channels for the public to complain and severely punish officers who violate the law themselves, we should also raise the professional level of the force and rebuild public trust in order to regain a spirit of professionalism and dignity.
Sandy Yeh is director of the Continuing Education and Training Center at Central Police University.
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