Mayor Presides over Swearing-in Ceremony for Police Officials
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin presided over the swearing-in ceremony for the new heads of several district police stations and the Criminal Investigation Division. The event took place at Taipei City Police Department on July 7.
The new heads of Songshan District Police Station, Xinyi District Police Station, Wenshan District (I) Police Station, Wenshan District (II) Police Station, and the Criminal Investigation Division received the official seals from the mayor and their respective predecessors. The mayor also bid farewells to the outgoing officials, several of whom will be serving at posts in other municipalities.
Speaking before the officers, Hau remarked that the American police would paint the words “To Protect and Serve” on their patrol vehicles to remind themselves of their duty towards the citizens and their obligations to protecting their safety and well-being. He pointed out that this value is his standard for evaluating police officers.
Recalling recent report of a police officer in Taipei City being a part of a robbery scam, Hau said the incident not only brought shame to himself and the city’s police department; as Taipei’s Mayor he feels hurt and remorse when he saw the local papers portray the incident as ‘police turn bandit’.
According to the mayor, a number of incidents in the past year – such as a patrol vehicle hitting two demonstrators during the May 17 protest and the identity theft of a traffic division officer – have soiled the reputation of Taipei police. He reminded the officials at the ceremony that their responsibilities include the strengthening of ethics and discipline training of police officers. The process will be the key to regaining the trust of Taipei’s residents.