Minister of the Interior Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) yesterday called on Taiwan Police College graduates to rebuild the public image of the police.
“You should strive for honor and make your family, relatives and friends proud of you,” Jiang said at a commencement ceremony for the school's 750 graduates yesterday morning.
His request, however, fell on deaf ears as many of the graduates were either sleeping, playing with their cellphones or chatting during his speech.
PHOTO: CNA
Approached after the ceremony, the minister said he did not mind.
“I have encountered that quite often when I was teaching in university, so it doesn't bother me,” he said.
The college, which includes courses in police administration, criminal investigation and disaster management, turns out graduates who become police officers or firefighters.
Jiang said the graduates would enter the force at a time of great challenges for law enforcement.
“Recent cases involving police discipline have had a serious negative impact on the force's image. I hope these graduates will make a change,” Jiang said.
He said there were many other professions that offer better opportunities to become rich, but the graduates had chosen a career that would not turn them into millionaires.
However, he encouraged them to hold on to their choices and to keep believing in justice.
In related news, Taichung Police late on Monday identified the 10th officer who appeared in video footage taken over a five-day period at gangster Weng Chi-nan's (翁奇楠) office prior to his assassination on May 28.
The officer received a major demerit for “being present at an inappropriate occasion.”
Chen Wu-kang (陳武康), chief inspector at the Taichung City Police Department, confirmed that Chen Yu-feng (陳譽鋒), an officer from the First Precinct's Minchuan Police Station, was the 10th individual who appeared in the video clips. He arrived at Weng's office for tea and stayed there for about one hour on May 25.
Chen Yu-feng said he was at the premises, but that he did not know Weng personally.
“He [Chen Yu-feng] said he was invited by Sergeant Dai Chih-hung [戴志宏], who was his classmate at the academy,” Chen Wu-kang said.
Dai was one of the four police officers present when Weng was shot dead in his office.
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