Starting this year, June 15 is to be observed as Police Day, with all police agencies and academies granted the day off, the Ministry of the Interior announced yesterday.
The move follows the Legislative Yuan’s passage last month of amendments to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which designated several new national holidays.
These include Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the anniversary of the Battle of Guningtou on Oct. 25, Constitution Day on Dec. 25, and Little New Year — the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve.
Photo: Taipei Times
The amendments also stipulated that Firefighters’ Day on Jan. 19 and Police Day on June 15 are to be recognized as holidays in accordance with regulations.
The holiday is to commend police officers for their hard work in fighting crime on the front lines and protecting the public 365 days a year, the ministry said.
It expressed hope that the holiday would help boost morale among active-duty officers and trainees, it said.
Faculty and students at Central Police University and Taiwan Police College would also have the day off, National Police Agency Director Hsu Shu-chen (許淑貞) told the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times).
Standard police operations would continue as normal to ensure that public safety would be maintained, the ministry said, adding that the public can remain at ease.
Police agencies and academies may adjust leave arrangements for personnel based on factors such as local conditions, security considerations and operational needs, it said.
The aim is to enhance the capacity of police forces to safeguard national security and stability, it added.
Similar leave arrangements apply to other public service professions: The Ministry of National Defense grants service members a day off on Sept. 3 for Armed Forces Day, the Coast Guard Administration observes Coast Guard Day on Nov. 8 and civil servants mark Workers’ Day on May 1.
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