The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day.
Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments.
The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan Station. The 27-year-old suspect, later identified as Chang Wen (張文), threw smoke grenades and randomly attacked people with a knife near the two metro hubs, killing three people before apparently jumping from a building to his death.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Lai said that to protect public safety, police rapid response units would increase their counterterrorism training, and deploy in crowded spaces and at large events.
The response times of law enforcement agencies at all levels are to be enhanced to facilitate rapid reaction to disturbances, he said.
Police are to establish a task force to investigate the incident, with particular attention to the attacker’s motives, whether he had accomplices and financial support, and the source of his equipment, Lai said.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Hospitals should be ready to provide long-term counseling for those affected by the incident, and honors should be conferred on the people who helped to contain the attack, he said, adding that he commended members of the public for their bravery in trying to stop the attacker.
“Your brave deeds were truly admirable,” Lai said.
Lai also visited injured victims, met with their families and offered his condolences to the bereaved families.
The government would ensure that compensation would be offered to victims and survivors of the attack, including the heroes who were killed or injured attempting to subdue the assailant, he said.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said the government would seek to improve preventive measures.
Security would be tightened on major railways and highways, in MRT and train stations, and at airports nationwide, with increased police presence and enhanced equipment, Cho said, adding that the measures would remain in place in the long term to improve confidence in public security.
He also urged the public not to spread unverified information and to remain calm, and asked for the government to be given “a little more time” as the investigation continues.
Additional reporting by Huang Tze-yang and CNA
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
The National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology yesterday showcased its locally developed variants of the Vision 60 robotic patrol dog, which it plans to deploy on the nation’s outlying territories in the South China Sea. The variants were produced under the Joint Lab project — created by the institute and domestic companies — and assembled with domestically produced motors, lenses and artificial intelligence (AI) systems alongside licensed tech from the US, Missile and Rocket Systems Research Division deputy director Jen Kuo-kang (任國光) told the media event at a military base in Taipei’s Dazhi (大直) area. Taiwan has built up its strengths
NOT IMMEDIATE: Taiwan has a chance to appeal the proposed 10 percent tariff before it starts, while other countries face a 12.5 percent tariff from the trade office Taiwan is among 60 economies determined by the US to have failed to impose or enforce a ban on the importation of goods produced with forced labor, according to a notice released on Tuesday by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), which proposed imposing an additional 10 percent or more tariff on them. The USTR in a statement said that following an investigation, it had determined under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 that the failure of the 60 economies to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor is
TIT-FOR-TAT: The US allegedly revoked the visa of a Chinese national working at Xinhua News Agency in the US in response to Beijing’s expulsion of Vivian Wang The Presidential Office yesterday condemned China for expelling a New York Times correspondent from Beijing following the newspaper’s interview with President William Lai (賴清德), saying the move highlighted Beijing’s suppression of press freedom and its threat to international news media. Taiwan has noted a series of recent incidents in which Beijing used similar tactics to “threaten and pressure international media outlets and journalists,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said in a statement. “This concerns not only press freedom and freedom of expression, but also the safety of journalists, and Taiwan and relevant partners are paying close attention to the situation,” she
RSS