Following a number of violent incidents involving the use of baseball bats, police are soon to start recording information of people with a criminal history who are found to be carrying knives, baseball bats or other dangerous weapons in their vehicles during roadside inspections, Minister of Interior Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) told a news conference on Monday.
The measure would apply only to people with a record of violence or fraud, or a connection with underground banks or organized crime, Hsu added on Facebook on Monday night.
It would not affect professional baseball players or people who play baseball for leisure, he wrote.
Photo: CNA
The measure is necessary as very few people who are suspected of contravening Article 150 of the Criminal Code have been indicted or found guilty, the ministry said in a statement yesterday, adding that suspects in most of the cases were only asked to pay a fine.
“Starting at the end of this month, we will also make a note of dangerous items they carry and record them in the M-police system,” the ministry said.
The M-police system is a mobile device used exclusively by law enforcement personnel to access individual profiles recorded in the police system, including those of fugitives, missing persons and illegal foreign workers. It is linked to motor vehicle offices nationwide, enabling police to check the license and registration of motorists.
If these suspects are later found to have committed a crime, all the information recorded in the M-police system would be forwarded to prosecutors as they review the evidence to determine whether the suspect should be indicted or heavily punished for breaching Article 150 of the Criminal Code, the ministry said.
The ministry said it hoped the measure would effectively prevent people from carrying dangerous weapons.
However, New Power Party Legislator Claire Wang (王婉諭) said that the measure is superfluous, as people with a rap sheet should already be in the police system.
“There are plenty of tools people can use to assault others. If the police should make a note if baseball bats were found, they should also make a note if golf clubs or dumbbells were found. The problem is criminal behavior, not the tools people use for violence,” she said.
The government should not increase police visibility or police patrols only after a tragic incident has happened, she said, adding that it would not address the problem and would increase the burden on frontline police officers.
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