US Police Similar to Taiwanese Police Decades Ago

Published in UDN
(Taiwan) on 19 July 2022
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Jennifer Sampson. Edited by Michelle Bisson.
Though only half over, this year has already seen more than 300 mass shootings in the U.S. In addition to gun control, another topic on people’s minds is law enforcement. At the end of May, the Texas House of Representatives released an investigative report on the terrifying mass shooting that left 21 dead at Robb Elementary School. While nearly 400 law enforcement officers rushed to the scene, for almost 80 minutes no action was taken to storm the classroom or apprehend the high-school-age gunman. Instead, officers talked among themselves, were on their phones and posted on Facebook. After gunshots rang out, heavily armed officers retreated in panic. The report criticizes the “systemic failure” of the officers and deems them unfit to wear a law enforcement badge.

Older generations of Taiwanese police officers who saw this news story smiled at the familiarity of the U.S. officers, who are much like those in Taiwan decades ago. How so? Long ago, when a Taiwanese police officer answered a call and someone said, “People are fighting — come quickly,” the officer would first check the time and then have a sip of tea, waiting until half an hour had passed and the fight was nearly finished before setting out. The officer would not hurry because getting pulled into the fray for no reason wasn’t worth it.

Those who understood the police habits at the time knew that if they wanted to get the police to hurry over and break up a fight, they should report people gambling, not fighting, when they called the station. This guaranteed that the police would hurry over to stop the gambling and confiscate the gambling paraphernalia and money, which was a benefit. Moreover, gambling presented no risk of physical injury. This trick also allowed the police to discern what kind of situation someone was calling about because only those who were close with the police knew the secret password. Indeed, when several riots broke out at construction sites in Taipei, the police were summoned using this “gambling” password.

These old police officers made a reasonable argument, believing the reason they need not hurry was because criminal prosecutors only had a 24-hour period to request a detention order. Otherwise, they would have hurried over immediately, arrested the suspect and interrogated them on the spot. However, a regulation forbade questioning suspects at night. When officers hustled to deliver suspects to the prosecutor’s office only to watch the prosecutor move slowly and make things difficult, and then see the judge release the suspect anyway, it made the police believe they didn’t need to rush.

Of course, it’s difficult to find police officers who still act like this nowadays. As high-performing officers from police academies replaced older officers, the new officers placed great importance on professional honor. The dove adorning the insignia they wear designates them as messengers of peace whose duty it is to actively involve themselves, even if it results in the ultimate sacrifice. Three years ago, Li Cheng-han, a 25-year-old railway police officer, was killed performing his duty. His proactive policing style has become part of the culture of the new generation of police officers. Moreover, the establishment of a Quick Reaction Force has enabled elite police officers to lose no time when maintaining public security.

Compared with having the systemic failures caused by the old-style police officers in Texas, Taiwanese people are undoubtedly fortunate to have the new style of officers.


美國警察很像多年前台灣老警察

今年才過半,美國各地頻繁的槍擊案已破三百起,除了槍枝管制,另個話題是執法人員到底行不行?五月下旬,駭人聽聞、二十一死的德州羅布小學槍擊案,州眾議會最近公佈調查報告,近四百名執法人員趕到現場,竟然約八十分鐘對單一的高中生槍手沒有緝捕、攻堅動作,有警察還聊天、滑手機、發臉書,槍聲響起後,重裝警察竟倉皇走避,調查報告批評執法單位「系統性失靈」,認為四百人全部不夠資格掛警徽。

看這新聞的台灣老一輩警察莞爾一笑,覺得似曾相識,老美警察很像幾十年前台灣警察。怎麼說呢?當年老警察接到報案電話「這裡發生械鬥,你們快來!」老警察會先看看表,繼續喝茶,半個小時過去等他們打得差不多了再出發…,老警察不會趕去,平白挨上幾棍子划不來。

瞭解警方執法習慣的人瞭解,要想警察快點來排除鬥毆場面,打到派出所的電話不能說「械鬥」,須改口說這裡有人「聚賭」,保證警察很快趕到,立刻制止聚賭,當然會沒收賭具、賭資,實惠,又沒有皮肉傷的風險;這一招也提供老警察辨認現場,只有「警察之友」才知道通關密語。之前,台北幾處大型工地碰上圍事鬧場,也是靠通關密語搬來警察。

老警察當然也講得出道理,認為刑事訴訟法檢警共用二十四小時的即時偵訊制度是老警不急著出馬的原因,否則第一時間拚命趕去,逮捕嫌犯立刻偵訊,還有不得夜間訊問的禁制;趕時間移送給檢察官,卻看他慢條斯理、嫌東嫌西,時間到了法官還是放人,老警察沒必要這麼拚。

當然這些老警察的從警習慣至今已很難再現,隨著警專科班出身的高水準警察替換老警察,新警察很重視職業榮譽,胸前的鴿子警徽更告訴自己扮演的是和平使者,對於警察勤務積極投入,甚至不惜身殉;三年前,二十五歲鐵路警察李承翰值勤時遇刺殉職,他的積極從警早是新一代警察文化。另「快打部隊」制度的建立,精銳警察讓治安維護能掌握第一時間。

對照德州「系統性失靈」的老美警察,國人無疑是幸福的。
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