President William Lai (賴清德) today pledged to continue to crack down on organized crime and fraud without compromise, while expanding policies and investment to support police officers.
He was speaking at a ceremony held by the National Police Agency to award exceptional officers.
Cooperation between criminal rings and foreign forces is “a provocation to democratic society and a grave threat to national and social security,” Lai said in his speech.
Photo: Lo Pei-te, Taipei Times
Criminals affiliated with gangs who disguise themselves as benevolent individuals or political officials must be identified and dealt with according to the law, and without leniency, he said.
Fraud poses the greatest threat to public safety around the world, with countless cases that greatly threaten Taiwanese society, he said.
Lai said that he would unite government departments, invest more resources and impose heavy punishments to crack down on organized crime.
He reminded police officers to take care of their health, engage in regular training and remain vigilant on duty to ensure their safety, while improving police services and efficiency.
Artificial intelligence technology is set to digitalize Taiwan’s policing system with the expanded use of uncrewed drones, and through technology-based enforcement and policing and traffic governance models, he said.
At this morning's celebration, 28 officers and 10 senior officers were awarded medals.
Lai thanked them for their hard work and dedication on behalf of the nation.
In the past few years, the government has been working to raise police officers' salaries and benefits and increase their duty allowances, he said.
The Executive Yuan in September last year approved an amendment that raised the maximum compensation given to a spouse or next of kin if a police officer dies in the line of duty to NT$20 million (US$671,141), while compensation for injuries requiring emergency treatment was increased from NT$200,000 to NT$250,000, Lai said.
Moreover, in June last year, the government established a committee to investigate on-duty incidents involving police and firefighters, provide mental health assistance, explore options to reduce workloads and gain feedback from officers at all levels to improve their work environment and ensure safety, he said.
The government is also building a housing complex for police officers and their families in New Taipei’s Jhonghe District (中和) which is expected to be completed by the end of this year and ready for applications next year, he said.
It would continue to develop policies and allocate resources to support the police force at a grassroots level by ensuring adequate staffing, developing the use of technology in investigations and modernizing equipment, he added.
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