National Police Agency (Republic of China)


National Police Agency
Strength
Force Size	68,818 (2004)
Local Pop.	23,036,087
Headquarters	No. 7, Section 1, Zhongxiao East Road Zhongxiao Road Zhongxiao Road is a major arterial and provincial highway in Taipei, Taiwan, connecting the Zhongzheng district in the west with the Daan, Songshan, Xinyi, and Nangang districts towards the east... , Zhongzheng District, Taipei City 10058, Taiwan (ROC) Republic of China The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
Operations
Director-General	Wang Cho-Chiun
Jurisdiction
	Free Area of the Republic of China
Area	35,980 km²
List of law enforcement agencies

The National Police Agency is an agency under the Ministry of the Interior

Ministry of the Interior (Republic of China)

The Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of China is a cabinet level executive yuan agency responsible for home affairs and security throughout the Free Area of the Republic of China...

, Republic of China

Republic of China

The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...

(Taiwan), which oversees all ROC police forces on a national level. The National Police Agency is headquartered in Taipei City.

Police Organization & Structure

Hierarchy

Most actual law enforcement and day-to-day policing duties are delegated to local police departments on a city and county level which answer to the NPA but are considered agencies of their local government. However the NPA has direct control over several specialized units which may be deployed to assist local forces, as well as the national highway patrol

Highway patrol

A highway patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is primarily concerned with such duties.Duties of highway patrols or traffic...

.

Unlike the police system in USA

Policing in the United States

Law enforcement in the United States is one of three major components of the criminal justice system of the United States, along with courts and corrections. Although there exists an inherent interrelatedness between the different groups that make up the criminal justice system based on their...

, the central government appoints the head positions of city and county Police Departments in the ROC and thus forms a solid chain of command for all police personnel. By calling a personnel review board, the Director-General of NPA has the full control of personnel rotation and transfer, as well as administrative commendations and reprimands over all high ranking police officers, including chiefs of local police departments.

One exception is the President of the Central Police University, who is directly subordinate to the Minister of the Interior, and is not subject to the NPA personnel review board.

Executive Yuan
Executive Yuan
The Executive Yuan is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China , commonly known as "Taiwan".-Organization and structure:...

(行政院)
Ministry of the Interior (內政部)

National Police Agency (警政署)

NPA Units/City and County Police Departments (縣市警察局)

Precinct/Division/Squad

Station

Beat

NPA Units

In addition to its own internal administrative offices, the NPA has direct control over the following units and agencies:

Criminal Investigation Bureau

The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB, 刑事警察局) is responsible for the investigation of high profile crimes, forensics

Forensics

Forensic science is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to a legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or a civil action...

, and computer-related crimes. Under its command, are the following field and staff sections:

Crime Prevention and Detection Command Center: Code-named Telephone Extension Number 8.

Crime Prevention Section

Crime Investigation Section

Anti-Hoodlum Section

Laws & Regulations Research Section

Criminal Records Section

International Criminal Affairs Section

INTERPOL Radio Center

Research & Development Office

Public Relations Office

Logistics Section

Secretariat

Internal Affairs Office

Public Security Office

Personnel Office

Accounting Office

There are also nine active field police squads

1st brigade: Homicide or unregistered weapons.
2nd brigade: Robbery or sex-related crimes.
3rd brigade: Controlled substances or organized crime.
4th brigade: Burglary, kidnapping or blackmail.
5th brigade: Bombs or explosives.
6th and 8th brigades: Rapid reaction units in central and southern Taiwan.
7th brigade: Financial crimes.
9th brigade: Cybercrimes.

Two task-force-grouped centers include:

Forensic Science Center:

Forensic Section(Criminalistics Office): The Emeritus consultant is Henry Chang-Yu Lee

Henry Lee (criminologist)

Dr. Henry Chang-Yu Lee , is one of the world's foremost forensic scientists.-Early life and career:...

(:zh:李昌鈺), Ph.D., in Connecticut, USA.

Forensic Biology Office(Medical Examiner Office): The Emeritus consultant is Yang Zi-song(:zh:楊日松), M.D., retired.

Fingerprint Office

High-Technology Crime Prevention Center: It formed on April 6th, 2006.

9th brigade

Electronic surveillance and monitoring center (on cellular telephone networks in private corporations, such as FET)

Information management office

Special Police Corps

There are 7 individual Special Police Corps, or "Peace Preservation Police Corps"(保安警察隊). These are mobile, rapid deployment police forces. They also execute various sentry duties and serve as a pool of reserve formations for police manpower.

Three task-force-grouped SWAT units (referred to as Peace Enforcing Special Service Forces or "Wei-An" Forces(:zh:維安特勤隊) comprise the 1st, 4th and 5th Special Police Corps. The mission of the "Wei-An" Forces include counter-terrorism

Counter-terrorism

Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...

, counter-hijacking, high-profile hostage rescue, and presidential protection. In recent years they have also been involved in the arrest of heavily armed fugitives. The uniforms and equipment of the Wei-An units are similar to local SWAT units, which are referred to as Thunder Squad

Thunder Squad

Thunder Squad is the nickname of Wei-An Special Services Unit of Taiwan's National Police Agency, a highly trained SWAT counter-terrorism Special Forces tactical unit established in 1985 to conduct high-risk arrests and other dangerous law enforcement duties...

s(:zh:霹靂小組). The Thunder Squads are subordinate to local police departments. However, the "Wei-An" Forces are the only police units equipped with V-150S armor vehicles and M998 Humvee(:zh:悍馬車), which were transferred from ROC Army after the 2004 shoot out with Zhang Xi-Ming (:zh:張錫銘).

The First Corps

A training base for courses of on-the-job training and mobile task force. Riot control

Riot control

Riot control refers to the measures used by police, military, or other security forces to control, disperse, and arrest civilians who are involved in a riot, demonstration, or protest. Law enforcement officers or soldiers have long used non-lethal weapons such as batons and whips to disperse crowds...

, Special Weapons and Tactics

SWAT

A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...

, counter-terrorism

Counter-terrorism

in northern Taiwan. It commands six special police brigades and one "Wei-an" Forces(:zh:維安特勤隊). Three brigades of conscripts, 2nd, 5th and 6th, served like combat police in Korea, are usually deployed for Riot control

Riot control

Corps Headquarter, 2nd, 3rd, 4th brigades, and one "Wei-An" Forces, are stationed in Si-pai, Taipei City.
- "Wei-an" Forces: Formed in June 1992. Its mission specialties are counter-terrorism
  Counter-terrorism
  Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
  
  , high-profile hostage rescues, and presidential protection. These forces are composed of SWAT units divided into two companies, which are supported by the 3rd brigade.
1st and 5th brigades are stationed in Sanxia District, New Taipei City.
The 6th brigade is stationed in Da-nan, Taoyuan County.

The Second Corps

There are 4 brigades commended by the Ministry of Economic Affairs(經濟部). It is for security duty of all governmental business units and Taiwan Power Company

Taiwan Power Company

The Taiwan Power Company is a state-owned electric power utility providing electric power to Taiwan and off-shore islands of Republic of China. In 1994 a measure which allowed independent power producers to provide up to 20 percent of Taiwan's electricity should have ended the monopoly.- See...

under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and all Science Parks

Hsinchu Science Park

Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park is an industrial park established by the government of the Republic of China on December 15, 1980 with investment from the Kuomintang. It straddles Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County on the island of Taiwan....

of National Science Council

National Science Council

The National Science Council is the main governmental promotion and funding body for science research in Taiwan, Republic of China. It is a governmental body under the Executive Yuan.-External links:* *...

The first brigade is especially tasked for the copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...

protection and the enforcement of counterfeit and infringement in related to intellectual property. It is usually code-named as Intellectual Property Protection Brigade.
The 2nd is to guard three nuclear power plants (Nuclear No.1, No.2, and No.4) of Taiwan Power Company
Taiwan Power Company
The Taiwan Power Company is a state-owned electric power utility providing electric power to Taiwan and off-shore islands of Republic of China. In 1994 a measure which allowed independent power producers to provide up to 20 percent of Taiwan's electricity should have ended the monopoly.- See...

in New Taipei City.
The 3rd is in northern Taiwan for the security duty of two Science Parks in Hsinchu
Hsinchu
Hsinchu City is a city in northern Taiwan. Hsinchu is popularly nicknamed "The Windy City" for its windy climate.Hsinchu City is administered as a special municipality within Taiwan . The city is bordered by Hsinchu County to the north and east, Miaoli County to the south, and the Taiwan Strait...

and Taichung
Taichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....

under National Science Council
National Science Council
The National Science Council is the main governmental promotion and funding body for science research in Taiwan, Republic of China. It is a governmental body under the Executive Yuan.-External links:* *...

, and the other industrial parks, import-export districts, and certain government installations of the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
The 4th is in southern Taiwan for the security duty of all governmental business installations under the National Science Council and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, which includes one nuclear power plant: "Nuclear No.3."

The Third Corps

It is a part of border police and provides supportive and supplemental duty of Customs Services

Chinese Maritime Customs Service

The Chinese Maritime Customs Service was a Chinese governmental tax collection agency and information service from its founding in 1854 until its bifurcation in 1949 into services operating in the Republic of China on Taiwan, and in the People's Republic of China...

of Ministry of Finance(財政部), ROC

Republic of China

in Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

The Fourth Corps

Riot control

, Special Weapons and Tactics

SWAT

A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...

, counter-terrorism

Counter-terrorism

in central Taiwan.

"Wei-an" Forces: In March 2003, two more task force-sized SWAT groups of "Wei-an" Forces were formed. One of them is attached to the 4th Special Police Corps in Taichung, which is located in central Taiwan.

The Fifth Corps

Riot control

, Special Weapons and Tactics

SWAT

A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...

, counter-terrorism

Counter-terrorism

in southern Taiwan.

"Wei-an" Forces: On March 2003, two task-force SWAT groups were formed. One is attached to the 5th Special Police Corps in southern Taiwan.

The Sixth Corps

Responsible for the physical security of central government buildings, high-ranking civilian officials, foreign embassies, and liaison institutes.

Taiwan Special Police Corps

There are 6 Special Police Brigades inherited from the late Taiwan Provincial Police Administration.

The first 3 brigades are for the security duty of 3 governmental financial banks: Taiwan Land Bank
Land Bank of Taiwan
Land Bank of Taiwan is a wholly state-owned bank of the Republic of China .It was owned by the Taiwan Provincial Government before its downsizing on December 21, 1998, when it was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Executive Yuan....

, Taiwan Cooperative Bank, and Bank of Taiwan
Bank of Taiwan
The Bank of Taiwan is a bank headquartered in Taipei, Republic of China . It is administered and owned by the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China.-History:...

.
The 4th is to guard the government installations related to the late Taiwan Province.
The 5th and 6th are attached to Water Resources Agency(水利署), Ministry of Economic Affairs(經濟部) to protect the water supply and water-and-land-related environmental cases.

Other NPA Units

The Immigration Office (入出境管理局) is removed from NPA and attached to the National Immigration Agency

National Immigration Agency

National Immigration Agency or ' is the statutory agency under the Ministry of Interior which is responsible for immigration, entry and exit security, border services, citizenship, visas, and registration of foreigners transiting the Free Area of the Republic of China. The agency is headed by the...

(:zh:入出國移民署) and since 2 January 2007.

National Highway Police
Highway patrol
A highway patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is primarily concerned with such duties.Duties of highway patrols or traffic...

Bureau (國道公路警察局): Jurisdiction over national highways
Highway System in Taiwan
Highways in the Republic of China are classified into four types:# National highways: 1 - 10 # Provincial highways: 1 - 39, 61 - 88 # County routes: 101 - 205# Township routes-The numbering system:...

.
Harbor Police
Water police
Water police, also called harbour patrols, port police, marine/maritime police, nautical patrols, bay constables or river police, are police officers, usually a department of a larger police organisation, who patrol in water craft...

Offices (港務警察局): Part of border police in Taiwan. There are 4 separate offices with jurisdictions over the ports of Keelung
Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...

, Taichung
Taichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....

, Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...

, and Hualien.
Railway Police Bureau (鐵路警察局): Jurisdiction over stations and facilities of Taiwan Railway Administration
Taiwan Railway Administration
The Taiwan Railway Administration is an agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China responsible for managing, maintaining, and running passenger and freight service on 1097 km of conventional railroad lines in Taiwan...

since 1949 and Taiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail is a high-speed rail line that runs approximately along the west coast of the Republic of China from the national capital of Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung...

since 26 December 2006.

The 1st section: facilities of TRA

Taiwan Railway Administration

The Taiwan Railway Administration is an agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China responsible for managing, maintaining, and running passenger and freight service on 1097 km of conventional railroad lines in Taiwan...

, north of Taichung

Taichung

-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....

in western Taiwan

The 2nd section: facilities of TRA

Taiwan Railway Administration

, south of Taichung

Taichung

in western Taiwan

The 3rd section: facilities of TRA

Taiwan Railway Administration

in eastern Taiwan

The THSR

Taiwan High Speed Rail

Taiwan High Speed Rail is a high-speed rail line that runs approximately along the west coast of the Republic of China from the national capital of Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung...

section: facilities of THSR

Taiwan High Speed Rail

Taiwan High Speed Rail is a high-speed rail line that runs approximately along the west coast of the Republic of China from the national capital of Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung...

Airport Police Bureau (航空警察局): The Airport police is a part of border police and responsible for safeguarding, traffic administration, crime investigation, documents inspection, security examination etc. at local civil airports in the ROC. Its headquarter is at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
National Park Police Corps (國家公園警察大隊): Jurisdiction over the national parks, specialization in search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...

operations.
Taiwan Police College (:zh:臺灣警察專科學校)
Police Armory (警察機械修理廠)
Police Telecommunications Office (警察電訊所)
Civil Defense Headquarters (民防防情指揮管制所)
Police Radio Station (警察廣播電臺): A government public radio station run by civilians. It broadcasts regular radio show programs, news, and real-time traffic situations.

Task-Force Formations under NPA

By separate decrees of The Executive Yuan

Executive Yuan

The Executive Yuan is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China , commonly known as "Taiwan".-Organization and structure:...

, three task-force formations, each consisted of roughly a couple of hundreds police officers with different specialty, are formed under the National Police Agency but attached to two cabinet-level institutions or other units.

Telecommunication Police Corps (電信警察隊): In January 1998, a task force called the "Telecommunication Police Corps" was formed and attached to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications(交通部). Since 2 February 2006, the Telecommunication Police Corps are re-attached to the National Communication Commission(:zh:國家通訊傳播委員會). Its job is to enforce laws concerning the radio spectrum and telecommunications.
Environmental Protection Police Corps (環保警察隊): It was formed in 1999 and is attached to The Environmental Protection Agency(環境保護署). There are currently 192 policemen serving as Environmental Protection Police and assigned to three brigades at Taipei City, Taichung City and Fongshan City
Fongshan City
Fengshan District is located in southern Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. Fengshan is one of the administrative centers of Kaohsiung City and is home to the Chinese Military Academy....

in Northern, Central and Southern Taiwan, respectively.
Forest & Nature Conservation Police Unit (森林暨自然保育警察隊): This was formed with 178 policemen on July 1, 2004 by the decree of the Executive Yuan
Executive Yuan
The Executive Yuan is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China , commonly known as "Taiwan".-Organization and structure:...

on August 6, 2003, after ten forest arson cases in the mountain area of Taichung County
Taichung County
Taichung County was a county in central Taiwan, the Republic of China, that surrounded but did not include Taichung City. The name Taichung means "central Taiwan"...

(now part of Taichung City) within six years. It is attached to the Forest Bureau of the Council of Agriculture. Besides its headquarter in Taipei City, there are 8 squadrons in Taiwan mountain area. Its main task is to support the forest patrolmen to preserve and protect the ecology system and all historic monuments in all the forests in Taiwan.

Local Agencies

Local police departments exist for all administrative divisions above the county/provincial city level. There are 26 local departments in total. All local agencies are subordinate to the NPA as well as their respective local government, and all police officers wear the same uniform regardless of jurisdiction.

Local city and county governments are responsible for allocating funds for their local police departments and local police chiefs must attend city or county council meetings to answer questions from council members. While all high ranking police officers are subject to personnel rotation and transfer by the NPA, under the wake of local autonomy beginning in 1990, the NPA Director-General will usually consult with local officials regarding the appointment of local police chiefs.

Municipal Police Departments

Sources

The Police Commissioners of the Taipei and Kaohsiung City Police Departments hold the rank of "Director-General, first level," which is the same as the Director-General of National Police Agency.

Although the Directors-General of the Taipei and Kaohsiung City Police Departments hold the same rank as the Directors-General of National Police Agency and Central Police University(:zh:中央警察大學), the latter two are both presidential commissions and appointed by the Minister of the Interior. As a courtesy, the two local Directors-General usually wear a lower rank in public.

Taipei City Police Department

Somehow different from the Police system of Japan

Police system of Japan

Law enforcement in Japan is provided by the Prefectural Police under the oversight of the National Police Agency or NPA. The NPA is headed by the National Public Safety Commission thus ensuring that Japan's police are an apolitical body and free of direct central government executive control...

, in the capital Taipei City, the city government has its own Taipei City Police Department and a subordinate criminal investigative force, "Criminal Investigation Division", which is also an active and famous police force in the field.

Kaohsiung City Police Department

In retrospect to the organization of police administration of Kaohsiung City, it has gone through history and experienced the great changes of the society. In fact it has to be traced back to the time of Japanese colonization. At that time there was the establishment of Eastern Police Office, Western Police Office, Marine Police Office and Fire Police Office.

After the end of Japanese colonization in October 1945, they were used continuously until the official establishment of Police Office of Kaohsiung City on 8 November 1945. This new police office was in charge of the maintenance of law and order of the whole city. On 14 February 1946, there was the establishment of the 1st and 2nd Precincts, Marine Branch Office and Fire Office. In 1958 the Police Office of Kaohsiung City was permitted to be promoted as a police department of Grade B system. Meanwhile, two more Precinct Offices were added.

On 1 July 1970 the police office was furthermore promoted as the only one belonging to Grade A system in Taiwan Police System. Under it, there were 7 Police Precincts established. On 1 July 1979 Kaohsiung City was officially promoted as a special municipal city under the central government. The Police Office of Kaohsiung City was officially named as Kaohsiung Municipal Police Department.

Island Police Departments in Fujian

Kinmen

Kinmen , also known as Quemoy , is a small archipelago of several islands administered by the Republic of China : Greater Kinmen, Lesser Kinmen, and some islets. Administratively, it is Kinmen County of Fujian Province, ROC. The county is claimed by the People's Republic of China as part of its...

and Lien-chiang County

Matsu Islands

The Matsu Islands are a minor archipelago of 19 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait administered as Lienchiang County , Fujian Province of the Republic of China . Only a small area of what is historically Lienchiang County is under the control of the ROC...

Police Departments are two local agencies which are historically out of the mainstream of Taiwan police system. The local police forces were merged into the two respective military theater garrison commands once or twice.

Since the direct travel between mainland China

Mainland China

Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...

and Kinmen

Kinmen

and Matsu

Matsu Islands

was opened in 2002, the local police departments are put on heavier duty of border security and immigration checking.

Kinmen County Police Department

Its root can be traced back to China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

in 1915. The local police department was once disbanded in 1949 and replaced by the military security forces under the Kinmen

Kinmen

garrison command. Then, in 1953, along with the reinstatement of Kinmen

Kinmen

County government, Kinmen

Kinmen

PD was detached from military command and assigned to the county government, which was still under the oversight of Kinmen

Kinmen

military committee until 1992.

Today, its table of organization contains 312 police officers and three field police brigades: Forces of "Criminal Investigation", "Special Police" and "Traffic Police."

There is no police precincts(分局) in Kinmen

Kinmen

. The Kinmen County Police Department has direct control over its six police institutes(所), which are somehow between the level of "police precinct" and "police station."

"Wu-chiu dispatched Police Station" is attached to the Kinmen County Police Department for the convenience of administration.

Lien-chiang County
Matsu Islands
The Matsu Islands are a minor archipelago of 19 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait administered as Lienchiang County , Fujian Province of the Republic of China . Only a small area of what is historically Lienchiang County is under the control of the ROC...

Police Department

It is stationed at Matsu Islands

Matsu Islands

.

Lien-chiang County Police Department was formed with 17 police officers in 1956 as a military security detail "Lien-chiang County Police Institute" under Matsu military committee. In December 1965, it was re-designated as "Lien-chiang County Police Department." In May 1967, it was then separated from a military unit and turned into a real civilian police force with four dispatched police stations.

After two expansions in June 1979 and in November 1998, it now contains 124 police officers and two field police brigades: Forces of "Criminal Investigation" and "Special Police and Traffic."

In August 2001, Lien-chiang County Police Department reorganized and upgraded its four dispatched police stations to four "police institutes." Among them, two police stations are added to "Nankan Police Institute" and one "Dongjyu Police Station" on Dungjyu island is formed up and subordinated to "Chukuang Police Institute."

Ranks

Rank insignias are worn over the right breast pocket when in uniform.

**Ranks of Police Officer**
Rank	Insignia
Police Rank 4 警佐四階	One Star on One Horizontal Bar
Police Rank 3 警佐三階	Two Stars on One Horizontal Bar
Police Rank 2 警佐二階	Three Stars on One Horizontal Bar
Police Rank 1 警佐一階	Four Stars on One Horizontal Bar
Police Officer Rank 4 警正四階 (Inspector)(Sub-Lieutenant)	One Star on Two Horizontal Bars
Police Officer Rank 3 警正三階 (Senior inspector)(Captain)	Two Stars on Two Horizontal Bars
Police Officer Rank 2 警正二階 (Superintendent)	Three Stars on Two Horizontal Bars
Police Officer Rank 1 警正一階 (Senior Superintendent)	Four Stars on Two Horizontal Bars
Police Supervisor Rank 4 警監四階 (Superintendent General)	One Star on Three Horizontal Bars
Police Supervisor Rank 3 警監三階	Two Stars on Three Horizontal Bars
Police Supervisor Rank 2 警監二階	Three Stars on Three Horizontal Bars
Police Supervisor Rank 1 警監一階	Four Stars on Three Horizontal Bars
Police Supervisor Rank Supreme (Police General) 警監特階

Sources: ROC Coast Guard Ranks http://www.uniforminsignia.net/index.php?p=show&id=173&sid=2291 http://www.npa.gov.tw/eng/npa_e_chief.htm

Before 1999, the lowest-grade street policemen held the rank of Police Officer II, denoted by an insignia of two stars on one horizontal bar, sometimes referred to colloquially as "一毛二" or "one dime and two cents." On March 3, 1999, an adjustment of "the table of police positions and corresponding ranks" or "各級警察機關學校警察官職務配階表", from the Ministry of Interior resulted in regular policemen or women on street holding the rank of Senior Police Officer, denoted by "three stars on one horizontal bar", nicknamed "一毛三" or "one dime and three cents."

To emphasize the independence of the ranks and the professions, the rank of ROC police may not perfectly match their positions in a station. In 2007, a highest rank above Police Supervisor Rank 1 is created for the highest position, Police General, who is in charge of and oversees the public safety of the entire nation.

History

The current police service in Taiwan traces its roots back to police forces established in Taiwan during Japanese colonial rule, as well as police services established in Mainland China during the early 20th Century.

Japanese Colonial Police

The first formal police forces in Taiwan were organized by the Japanese Colonial Government

Taiwan under Japanese rule

Between 1895 and 1945, Taiwan was a dependency of the Empire of Japan. The expansion into Taiwan was a part of Imperial Japan's general policy of southward expansion during the late 19th century....

which oversaw Taiwan between 1895 and 1945. In the early years of Japanese rule, rebellions were common especially in rural areas. With the passage of the "Bandit Laws", police forces as well as garrison units from the Japanese military

Imperial Japanese Army

-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...

were tasked with suppression of rebels, though large scale rebellions had largely died out by 1902. Military and police forces were also involved in the efforts of the colonial government to secure control over the mountainous regions of Taiwan from the Taiwanese aborigines around 1910, and a series of smaller attempted rebellions and civil disorders between 1912 and 1916 http://www.educ.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~koma/taiwanpaper.htm. With the gradual acceptance of Japanese rule sinking in among the general populace by the 1920s, most agitators turned to seeking political change and reform within the established system in the home rule movement, Secret police

Secret police

Secret police are a police agency which operates in secrecy and beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual dictator or an authoritarian political regime....

forces were tasked with keeping a close watch on political groups and agitators.

Most of the members of the police forces during this time were expatriate Japanese, though towards the latter period of Japanese rule, locals began to be recruited. Throughout much of this time, the police forces were granted broad power and authority and allegations of police brutality

Police brutality

Police brutality is the intentional use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially also in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by a police officer....

were common, especially during the earlier periods of Japanese rule. Consequently, they were not particularly liked by the general populace, and were often viewed as a symbol of the more oppressive side of Japanese rule; though this gradually changed with the stabilization of the political situation. Nonetheless, Japan was generally credited for formally establishing law and order in what had previously been a hotbed of rebellion and lawlessness during Ching Dynasty rule. Much of the law enforcement infrastructure and traditions developed during this time would continue to be used under postwar ROC

Republic of China

rule.

Police in the early ROC

The ROC's law enforcement system built upon the foundations laid down during the Ching Dynasty with the establishment of the Peking Public Inspection Headquarters in 1902. Following the overthrow of the Ching Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic in 1912, a National Police Department was established under the auspices of the Ministry of the Interior. This early centralized system consisted of a national headquarters in the capital, provincial police administrations for each province, police departments and bureaus at the municipal and county level respectively. This system was extended to Taiwan following its transfer to ROC control in 1947 two years after the end of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, though the basic system from the Japanese era was retained.

Martial Law

During the period between 19 May 1949 and 14 July 1987, the Taiwan police system had a controversial page in Taiwan history.

Between 1945 and 1988, police officers in Taiwan wore khaki

Khaki

This article is about the fabric. For the color, see Khaki . Kaki, another name for the persimmon, is often misspelled "Khaki".Khaki is a type of fabric or the color of such fabric...

uniforms with khaki combination caps similar to those worn by naval officers, or with white plastic helmets similar to the U.S. Navy Shore patrol

Shore patrol

Shore patrol are service members that are provided to aid in security for the U.S. Navy, United States Coast Guard, United States Marine Corps, and the British Royal Navy while on shore...

. Critics noted the similarity to military uniforms, eventually leading to the revision of police uniforms in 1988.

On 5 February 1951, by the power of the now-abolished law of contravention, police officers could grab men with long hairdo and use scissors to cut the men's long hair. So applied to mini-skirts, Hawaii shirts, flared trousers, or other clothes of the men or women with irregular dressing. On 5 February 1972, Taipei City Police Department even launched a mass-detainment against people who dressed like hippies.

In 1972, to streamline organizational costs, the National Police Department was merged with the Taiwan Police Administration to form the new National Police Agency (NPA).

The first 4 Directors-General of NPA, between 1972 and 1990, were active general officers transferred from Army or Marine Corps:

Chou Ju-cun (周菊村), between 1972 and 1976;

Kong Ling-Cheng (:zh:孔令晟), between 1976 and June 1980;

Ho En-ting (何恩廷), between June 1980 and 1 August 1984;

Luo Chang (羅張), between 1 August 1984 and 4 August 1990.

The latter three even served as two-star Marine Corps Commandants.

Secret police organizations

Historically speaking, in Taiwan, unlike Special Higher Police (Tokko

Tokko

', often shortened to ' was a police force established in 1911 in Japan, specifically to investigate and control political groups and ideologies deemed to be a threat to public order....

) and the Japanese Military police (Kempeitai

Kempeitai

The was the military police arm of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1881 to 1945. It was not an English-style military police, but a French-style gendarmerie...

) during the Japanese Colonial era, the secret police activity was not the major task of Taiwan police system during the Martial-Law era.

The Taiwan police system at that time only played as a supportive role, like performing frequent surveillance, for example. Nevertheless, the governmental body of Taiwan police system back then was and still is subjective to the supervision and coordination of National Security Bureau

National Security Bureau

The National Security Bureau is the principal intelligence agency of the Republic of China , including military intelligence.-History:...

of the ROC

Republic of China

National Security Council. The main secret-police work were held up by other security units listed below. Several units in the past like National Security Bureau

National Security Bureau

The National Security Bureau is the principal intelligence agency of the Republic of China , including military intelligence.-History:...

or National Bureau of Investigation were much more fearful or despicable to the people of Taiwan. However, by the end of the Martial-Law era, these so-called "secret police" units were legalized, transformed into intelligence-oriented or law-enforcement units, or even disbanded.

The typical secret-police example of the involvement from several security units is Peng Ming-min

Peng Ming-min

Peng Ming-min is a noted Taiwan independence activist and politician. Arrested for sedition in 1964 for printing a manifesto advocating Taiwanese independence, he dramatically escaped from Taiwan to the United States and after 22 years in exile, returned to became the Democratic Progressive...

(:zh:彭明敏), the famous Taiwanese political prisoner since 1960s. Tipped off by several civilians, Peng was at first arrested by a police detail from local police station in Taipei City. Immediately, he was sent to Taiwan Garrison Command

Taiwan Garrison Command

The Taiwan Garrison Command was a secret police/state security body which existed under the Republic of China military on Taiwan. The agency was established at the end of World War II, and operated throughout the Cold War. It was disbanded on August 1, 1992....

for interrogation, which was led by its Division of Political Warfare. Sequentially, Peng was courted-martial by a military tribunal organized by "Division of Judge Advocate General" of Taiwan Garrison Command

Taiwan Garrison Command

. Peng was pardoned in 1965 but put under house arrest. In 1966, Peng's case was then discussed by National Security Council and transferred from Taiwan Garrison Command

Taiwan Garrison Command

to Bureau of Investigation. Until his escape in January, 1970, Peng was under the regular visits from local policemen and constant surveillance from agents of Bureau of Investigation.

Taiwan Garrison Command
Taiwan Garrison Command
The Taiwan Garrison Command was a secret police/state security body which existed under the Republic of China military on Taiwan. The agency was established at the end of World War II, and operated throughout the Cold War. It was disbanded on August 1, 1992....

The influence to Taiwan of this infamous late Taiwan Garrison Command

Taiwan Garrison Command

under the Ministry of National Defense

ROC Ministry of National Defense

The Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China is a cabinet-level agency under the Executive Yuan responsible for all defense affairs. The MND is headed by a civilian Minister of National Defense, currently Kao Hua-Chu....

is way too wide, including every aspect like politics, society, economics, culture, and even education, not just confined to the Taiwan police system. Later, it was disbanded and broken into two different units, which have evolved to the current Coast Guard Administration

Republic of China Coast Guard

The Coast Guard Administration of the Republic of China is charged with maintaining law and order, protecting the resources of the territorial waters surrounding Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu Islands, Green Island, Orchid Island, Dongsha Islands, and Nansha Islands as well as providing a first...

under the Executive Yuan

Executive Yuan

The Executive Yuan is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China , commonly known as "Taiwan".-Organization and structure:...

and Reserve Command of the Ministry of National Defense

ROC Ministry of National Defense

Military Intelligence Bureau

Military Intelligence Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense

ROC Ministry of National Defense

is the successor of the controversial Bureau of Investigation and Statistics of the National Military Council

National Military Council

The command of the Chinese National Revolutionary Army was directed by the National Military Council , chaired by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II...

of Republic of China

Republic of China

in the early ROC

Republic of China

era and during the Second Sino-Japanese War

Second Sino-Japanese War

The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...

. It was nicknamed "Jun-Tong" (:zh:軍統), literally Military-Statistics. Before 1949, many high-ranking police officers were trained by the Military-Statistics. After 1949, many of them, and a lot of intelligence officers from the military intelligence agencies, were flooded into Taiwan police organizations. The typical case is Wang Lu-chiao (王魯翹), Father of Wang Cho-Chiun, the Director-General of National Police Agency after June 1, 2008. Wang Lu-chiao was an intelligence officer of Military-Statistics and sent to Hanoi

Hanoi

Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...

to assassinate Wang Jingwei

Wang Jingwei

Wang Jingwei , alternate name Wang Zhaoming, was a Chinese politician. He was initially known as a member of the left wing of the Kuomintang , but later became increasingly anti-Communist after his efforts to collaborate with the CCP ended in political failure...

(:zh:汪精衛) between January and March 1939 without success. Wang Lu-chiao, after 1949 and until his death by a vehicular accident in 1973, became a successful criminal detective and later served as the Police Commissioner of Taipei City Police Department in 1970s.

General Department of Political Warfare

This military institution was the equivalence of the Third Chief Directorate of KGB

KGB

The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...

in former Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

. In the ROC Armed Forces, every military command, down to a company or a battery, has a commissioned officer served as the third-ranking officer and a political commissar, who is either dispatched from or trained by now "Political Warfare General Bureau", which was back then "General Department of Political Warfare" of the Ministry of National Defense

ROC Ministry of National Defense

.

However, the influence of this former General Department of Political Warfare was not just confined within the ROC military. Many commissioned officers from the branch of Political Warfare were directly transferred to the police system. One of them, Chen Bi (陳壁), even were promoted to the Police Commissioner of The Taiwan Provincial Police Administration.

In the ROC, before May 26, 1995, military training lessons were mandatory to all students of senior high schools, colleges and universities. As a result, there were and still are many military instructors stationed at every school more advanced than senior high schools. Naturally these military instructors are also commissioned officers in active duty either dispatched from or trained by the branch of Political Warfare. Before 1995, one of their missions at school is to closely watch, report, or even suppress any possible anti-government or political activity launched by students on or off campus.

Bureau of Investigation

Bureau of Investigation was originated from the other controversial ROC

Republic of China

security unit so-called "Zhong-Tong" or literally "Central Statistics" (:zh:中統) subordinated to Central Executive Committee of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) before 1949.

National Security Bureau
National Security Bureau
The National Security Bureau is the principal intelligence agency of the Republic of China , including military intelligence.-History:...

The National Security Bureau

National Security Bureau

The National Security Bureau is the principal intelligence agency of the Republic of China , including military intelligence.-History:...

of the ROC

Republic of China

National Security Council was established at the suggestion of Chiang Ching-kuo

Chiang Ching-kuo

Chiang Ching-kuo , Kuomintang politician and leader, was the son of President Chiang Kai-shek and held numerous posts in the government of the Republic of China...

in 1956. This bureau was to served as the primary intelligence unit in Taiwan and headed by Cheng Jie-Min (鄭介民), a heavy-weight three-star army general from Military-Statistics. The purpose of creating such a new intelligence agency was to settle the inter-agency rivalry among the intelligence community in Taiwan and allow more direct access for Chiang Kai-shek

Chiang Kai-shek

Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....

and Chiang Ching-kuo

Chiang Ching-kuo

Chiang Ching-kuo , Kuomintang politician and leader, was the son of President Chiang Kai-shek and held numerous posts in the government of the Republic of China...

Post-Martial Law era reforms

In 1990, Chuang Heng-dai(莊亨岱), by then the Commissioner of Railway Police Bureau, became the first career police officer with the background of a criminal investigator to take over the chief of NPA. Since then, all the successive directors-general of NPA are promoted from career police officers in active duty within the Taiwan police system.

The Taiwan Provincial Police Administration was again separated from the NPA in 1995 with the implementation of local autonomy statutes in the ROC Constitution. Fire-fighting

Fire fighting

Firefighting is the act of extinguishing fires. A firefighter fights fires to prevent loss of life, and/or destruction of property and the environment...

units also ceased to be part of the NPA from that year and were reorganized into a separate fire department

Fire department

A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...

. National Fire Agency(:zh:內政部消防署) of Ministry of Interior was established on 1 March 1995 to be responsible for fire prevention, disaster rescue and emergency medical service.

In 1999, with the downsizing of the provincial level of government, the Taiwan Provincial Police Administration was dissolved and its personnel and responsibilities were once again transferred to the National Police Agency.

An increase in crime and liberalization of the mass media in the 1990s led to many questions concerning the effectiveness of the police force in investigating and fighting crime, as opposed to its prior concentration on crowd and riot control

Riot control

, a carryover from the martial law era.

Recent years

With increased media coverage in recent years and the proliferation of tabloid newspapers and 24 hour cable news channels throughout Taiwan, the police force has been faced with new challenges involving high profile crimes, and increased media involvement. Past concerns of police corruption have largely been replaced by concerns of police ineffectiveness, particularly in light of several high profile cases in recent years. Gun related crime has also increased, though the overall crime rate in Taiwan remains lower than that of most western and Asian nations.

On 22 July 2000, four workers carrying out riverbed construction work in Pachang Creek(:zh:八掌溪), Chiayi County

Chiayi County

Chiayi County is a county in southwestern Taiwan surrounding but not including Chiayi City. Its historical name in Taiwanese Hokkien derives from Tsirosen in the Formosan languages...

, were surrounded by the quickly rising torrent on Saturday afternoon. The four stood in the center of the river for three hours, waiting for a helicopter that never came, and were finally washed away at around 7:08pm in sight of family members, helpless would-be rescuers, and the lens of news cameras on the riverbank. The delay was attributed to bureaucratic red tape

Red tape

Red tape is excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules that is considered redundant or bureaucratic and hinders or prevents action or decision-making...

and three top government officials resigned, including Yu Shyi-kun

Yu Shyi-kun

Yu Shyi-kun , a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party, is a former chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan. He previously served as Premier of the Republic of China from 2002 to 2005...

, the vice Premier of Executive Yuan

Executive Yuan

The Executive Yuan is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China , commonly known as "Taiwan".-Organization and structure:...

and two Director-Generals from National Police Agency and National Fire Agency. This Pachang-Creek incident(:zh:八掌溪事件) caused a field day for the news media in Taiwan and triggered a reform of the airborne emergency management system. On 10 March 2004, the newly formed National Airborne Service Corps (NASC) of the Ministry of Interior absorbed four civil airborne squadrons

The Airborne Squadron of National Police Agency,

The Preparatory Office of the Airborne Fire Fighting Squadron of National Fire Agency,

The Aviation Team of Civil Aeronautics Administration of Ministry of Transportation and Communications,

The Air Patrol Squadron of the Coast Guard Administration.

NASC takes over the responsibilities of five major airborne tasks：Search and Rescue, Disaster Relief, Emergency Medical Services, Reconnaissance and Patrol, and Transportation.

On 26 July 2004, members of the Criminal Investigation Bureau engaged in what was arguably the largest gun battle in the history of modern Taiwan with members of a kidnapping gang in Kaohsiung County

Kaohsiung County

Kaohsiung County was a county in southern Taiwan that enclosed but did not include Kaohsiung City. On December 25, 2010, the county merged with Kaohsiung City to form a single special municipality.- Administration :-External links:*...

(now part of Kaohsiung City). Though they held a numerical advantage, the officers found themselves outgunned by the suspects who possessed bulletproof vests and M16's. In the ensuing gunfight four police officers were injured, and two suspects were shot and arrested. However the ringleader of the gang managed to escape along with a cohort after holding a passing civilian hostage and escaping in a hijacked car on live TV. The ensuing manhunt was widely covered, the ringleader Zhang Xi-Ming(:zh:張錫銘) was finally arrested following another gun battle with police on 13 July 2005.

On 28 Feb 2006, Hou Yu-ih(:zh:侯友宜), the Criminal Investigation Bureau Commissioner, assumed command as the director-general of the National Police Agency. He, a career criminal investigator, is the youngest-ever to hold that post. Wang Cho-Chiun(:zh:王卓鈞), Chief of Taipei City Police Department, was named as the new director-general effective June 2008.

On 2 Jan 2007, according to "the Organic Law of the National Immigration Agency" enacted on 30 Nov 2005, the NPA's former Imigration Office was expanded to become the National Immigration Agency(移民署) under the direct control of the Ministry of the Interior, and Wu Cheng-chi(吳振吉) was named the first director general of NIA.

Policing in the ROC

General information

In addition to normal law enforcement duties, police in the ROC are charged with other slightly more unusual duties such as taking census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

data, as well as immigration and visa related issues. Most jurisdictions also have a Foreign Affairs squad staffed by English speaking officers tasked with visa enforcement and issues relating to foreigners or the foreign community in Taiwan.

With the exception of traffic police in some local departments, all police officers carry small firearms and batons. A criticism that has emerged in recent years is that police officers generally do not carry any nonlethal weapons aside from batons such as taser

Taser

A Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation" and the devices' mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption technology"...

s or pepper spray

Pepper spray

Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...

, limiting their options when dealing with violent criminals. Police in Taiwan have sometimes been known to fire warning shots or at the legs of fleeing suspects, though this practice has reportedly decreased in recent years.

Most police officers patrol in marked police car

Police car

A police car is a ground vehicle used by police, to assist with their duties in patrolling and responding to incidents. Typical uses of a police car include transportation for officers to reach the scene of an incident quickly, to transport criminal suspects, or to patrol an area, while providing a...

s or small motorscooters. Motorcycles are typically used only by the traffic police. Police officers patrol with the light bars on their cars turned on. Like many other nations in the Asia Pacific region, the emergency number for police in Taiwan is 1-1-0.

Local Stations

In Taiwan, including islands of Kinmen

Kinmen

and Matsu

Matsu Islands

, there are a total of 1,615 various local police stations.

Typically, there are 16 police officers, including a station chief and a sergeant, in a local police station.

Usually, a counter is placed in the 24-hour-opened main entrance and a pistol-armed police officer would sit there as the station duty officer, or watch commander, on a 2-or-4-hour watch. The watch commander is the main funnel between that station and civilians within its area of responsibility. He or she is in charge of the safety of the station, including the security of firearms and ammunition. The station duty officer must answer all personal or telephone complaints from civilians, delegate those reports to proper desk police officers, dispatch police officers on patrol to respond, or provide legal advice to common citizens. Also, the station duty officer would reply to all information requests concerning suspicious persons or vehicles over radio communication.

In remote areas or due to manpower shortage, some local stations are allowed by regulation to close the main gate between 2200 and 0600 hrs, but one police officer must remain inside.

Selection & training

Career police officers are trained at either the Taiwan Police College(:zh:臺灣警察專科學校) in Taipei City or the Central Police University in Taoyuan. The Taiwan Police College provides basic training for entry level police officers assigned to patrol duty, while the Police University provides more advanced training for manager level or active duty officers in forensics

Forensics

Forensic science is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to a legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or a civil action...

, administration, traffic control, fire control and science, border police, crime investigation, maritime police, foreign affairs

Foreign Affairs

Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...

, information management

Information management

Information management is the collection and management of information from one or more sources and the distribution of that information to one or more audiences. This sometimes involves those who have a stake in, or a right to that information...

, law

Law

Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...

and other related subjects.

In 2006, police selection criteria were amended to include all persons with a high school diploma between ages 18 – 28 able to pass a police civil service exam and undergo one year of training. This removed the past requirement where only graduates of specialized police colleges and universities were allowed to become police officers.

Conscripts may also choose to fulfil their mandatory twenty month national service requirement in the Police Department following basic training. Conscripts are typically deployed to assist local officers in positions such as traffic control, riot control, secretarial work, and basic patrol. Conscripts serving in the police force are generally not issued firearms.

Uniforms

Most police officers, since 1988, wear the standard uniform which consists of dark blue pants, the Combination cap with a gold band or a baseball cap, a jacket or an overcoat in winter, and a light Grey shirt. Dark-blue or yellow windbreakers attached white reflective strips are sometimes also issued, with white letters "POLICE" and "警察" on the back. All uniform buttons or decorations are golden yellow. A golden rank insignia is worn over the right breast pocket of the shirt. Two patches are worn, one on each shoulder: one with the golden NPA insignia, department name, and serial number. The second patch may be optional and is specific to the squad or unit the officer belongs to.

Court bailiffs, volunteer police officers, and civil defense personnel wear the same uniforms with small variations. The cap insignia worn by volunteer police officers is silver white rather than gold, as are the decorations and the shoulder patches. Instead of the golden rank insignia over the right breast pocket, volunteer policemen wear name tags.

Volunteer traffic police personnel wear similar uniforms with same style but with a high visibility orange shirt, and usually bear no rank.

Members of certain SWAT

SWAT

A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...

units will usually wear dark blue BDU

Battle Dress Uniform

The Battle Dress Uniform were the fatigues that the armed forces of the United States used as their standard uniform for combat situations from September 1981 to April 2005. Since then, it has been replaced in every branch of the U.S. military. Only the U.S. Navy currently authorizes wear of the...

style uniforms rather than the regular one. Detectives typically dress in plainclothes.

Conscripts serving alternative national service with the police wear khaki

Khaki

This article is about the fabric. For the color, see Khaki . Kaki, another name for the persimmon, is often misspelled "Khaki".Khaki is a type of fabric or the color of such fabric...

uniforms instead of the standard police blue.

Bureau of Investigation

Regarding drugs, corruptions, espionage, and economic crimes, the Investigative Bureau of Ministry of Justice has developed stronger capability to cover cases in those categories for decades. The investigation of these cases, police corruption included, are usually transferred to or led by the Bureau of Investigation.

MJIB are equipped with a strong laboatory-testing capacity regarding controlled substances. This gives a necessary advantage and training for the investigators of MJIB. However, the police forces in the ROC still maintain several active drug enforcement squads at the local police departments and the Criminal Investigation Bureau of NPA.

Historically, counter-intelligence affairs are under the turf of MJIB. Different from "special branch

Special Branch

Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security in British and Commonwealth police forces, as well as in the Royal Thai Police...

" in the police system in United Kingdom

Policing in the United Kingdom

Law enforcement in the United Kingdom is organised separately in each of the legal systems of the United Kingdom: England & Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland ....

, the security divisions at all levels of Taiwan police system are mainly staff units, not fielded police details. Under the supervision of National Security Bureau

National Security Bureau

The National Security Bureau is the principal intelligence agency of the Republic of China , including military intelligence.-History:...

, all non-mililary cases of espionage would soon be moved to the Bureau of Investigation.

A few years ago, high-ranking police officials tried to develop the strength of investigating white-collar crime

White-collar crime

Within the field of criminology, white-collar crime has been defined by Edwin Sutherland as "a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation" . Sutherland was a proponent of Symbolic Interactionism, and believed that criminal behavior was...

s in the ROC police system but gained unnoticed progress. MJIB is still in the lead position of cracking economic crimes or money-laundry. However, the Criminal Investigation Bureau of NPA has built fair reputation on copyright

Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...

protection and the safety of computers and networks. Also, regarding the copyright

Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...

issue, the 1st brigade of the 2nd special police corps is especially tasked for the enforcement related to intellectual property.

Military Police

In the ROC, the usual cases for local police to bring in the military police

Republic of China Military Police

The Republic of China Military Police is a military police body under the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China . Unlike military police in many other countries, ROCMP is a separate branch of the ROC Armed Forces.-Warlords Era:...

are military deserters or traffic accidents involving military vehicles or personnel.

The latter one is a very interesting situation that ROC civilians tend to shake down the related military units when such kind of accidents occur. For some paranoid thinking, people in the ROC military presume that the local policemen would side with civilians. As an unofficial rule in all ROC armed forces, all military drivers, and commissioned or non-commissioned officers are frequently instructed to call in the military police when they find themselves are in the middle of such a vehicular incident.

Contrary to common belief, the Republic of China Military Police

Republic of China Military Police

can actively go after civilian criminals, although usually they choose not to muddle the gray area after the lifting of martial law on July 15, 1987. By "Law of the dispatching of Judicial Police Personnel," the military police

Republic of China Military Police

can deal with civilian affairs under the supervision of the public prosecutor(s) from all Court Prosecutors' Offices at all levels under the Ministry of Justice. Once so often, some public prosecutor(s) would direct the military police to handle large-scale searches or arrests with cases of police-related crimes, prostitution, or fugitive recovery.

Regarding counter-terrorism

Counter-terrorism

, there are three company-size troops of special forces

Special forces

Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...

under the operational control of the Ministry of National Defense

ROC Ministry of National Defense

Northern Taiwan: Military Police Special Service Company (MPSSC, Code Name: Night Hawk), Military Police Command
Republic of China Military Police
The Republic of China Military Police is a military police body under the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China . Unlike military police in many other countries, ROCMP is a separate branch of the ROC Armed Forces.-Warlords Era:...

.
Central Taiwan: Special Warfare Special Service Company, Aviation, Airborne and Special Warfare Command of the Republic of China Army
Republic of China Army
The ROC Army's current operational strength includes 3 armies, 5 corps. As of 2005, the Army's 35 brigades include 25 infantry brigades, 5 armoured brigades and 3 mechanized infantry brigades...

.
Southern Taiwan: Marine Special Service Company, Marine Corps Command
Republic of China Marine Corps
Republic of China Marine CorpsPersonnel15,000 The Republic of China Marine Corps is the amphibious arm of the Republic of China Navy responsible for amphibious combat, counter-landing and reinforcement of the main island of Taiwan, remote islands, defense of ROCN facilities, and also functions as...

of the Republic of China Navy
Republic of China Navy
The Republic of China Navy is the maritime branch of the Armed forces of the Republic of China . The ROC Navy's primary mission is to defend ROC territories and the sea lanes that surround Taiwan against a blockade, attack, or possible invasion by forces of the People's Republic of China...

.

These three are tasked to handle combat situations involving international terrorists, mercenary or para-military criminals. Bound by laws, currently only the Military Police Special Service Company can react to non-military cases, like airplane hijacking.

Coast Guard

The shore lines of Taiwan are under multiple protections from several law enforcement units in Taiwan.

Historically, the maritime patrol of Coast Guard Administration

Republic of China Coast Guard

could be traced back to one of its several origins, the former 7th Special Police

Special police

Special Police does not have a consistent international meaning. In many cases it will describe a police force or a unit within a police force whose duties and responsibilities are significantly different from other forces in the same country or significantly different from other police in the same...

Corps. As a matter of fact, the former 7th Special Police

Special police

Corps was expanded from the late and unique River Patrol squadron of Taipei County

Taipei County

New Taipei City is the most populous city of Taiwan. The area includes a substantial stretch of Taiwan's northern coastline and surrounds the Taipei Basin...

(now New Taipei City) Police Department. Ironically, the land branches of Coast Guard Administration are rooted from the late controversial Taiwan Garrison Command

Taiwan Garrison Command

. However, the formations of land patrol forces were inherited from the ROC Army.

Based on these interesting and complicated roots of heritage, Coast Guard Administration

Republic of China Coast Guard

does not always go along well with the police, especially when the land jurisdiction problems presents.

Smuggling and Arms-trafficking has been a long existing issue in Taiwan. Human-trafficking and its counter part, prostitution, are increasingly hot problems in Taiwan.

Naturally, the maritime patrol of Coast Guard Administration are tasked to stop those crimes at sea and the coastal patrol of Coast Guard Administration are detailed to intercept such criminal cases along the coast line of Taiwan. The in-land territory of Taiwan should be the responsibility of individual local police departments or national law enforcement units from NPA or MJIB.

However, cases like smuggling and human-trafficking may cause turf wars between law enforcements. For example, when a brothel was raid by plain-cloth peace officers, the pimp usually would quietly go to the local police station and gather possible information of his girls in detention but sometimes the pimp would later find that his girls were held up by the local coastal patrol units.

Fire Brigades

Taiwan Firemen were a part of the Taiwan Police before 1995. At that time, the Fire Policemen were not the most favorite people in the eyes of certain police chiefs. The most extreme case was in Taipei County

Taipei County

New Taipei City is the most populous city of Taiwan. The area includes a substantial stretch of Taiwan's northern coastline and surrounds the Taipei Basin...

(now New Taipei City) Police Department: the Taipei County

Taipei County

New Taipei City is the most populous city of Taiwan. The area includes a substantial stretch of Taiwan's northern coastline and surrounds the Taipei Basin...

Police Commissioner Yao Kao-Chiao (:zh:姚高橋) assigned all his fire policemen to kitchen duty because he felt his fire policemen were doing nothing except waiting for a fire to happen.

It is worth to point out that Yao Kao-Chiao was the Directors-General of Central Police University from May 1995 to June 1996, of National Police Agency from June 1996 to 1997, and of Coast Guard Administration

Republic of China Coast Guard

from 2000-01-28 to 2000-05-21.

Also, in Taiwan, another contradiction was the radio call signs for the fire trucks or rescue vehicles. For reasons to avoid unwanted attentions and to remain secrecy, all radio call signs for all police vehicles were uncorrelated with the missions of the subject vehicles, unnecessarily including fire trucks, rescue vehicles, and ambulances of fire brigades. When fire police teams were responding to an emergency situation, these confusing call signs inevitably led to chaos and time delay. A successful fire chief, Chao Kang (:zh:趙鋼), convinced the police high command to rearrange the radio call sign assignment for all fire vehicles. Chao Kang then was appointed as the Commissioner of Taiwan Provincial Fire Administration, and the Director-General of National Fire Agency from 2000-08-10 to September 2002.

External links

National Police Agency, MOI
National Police Administration from GlobalSecurity.org

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National Security Bureau
National Security Bureau
The National Security Bureau is the principal intelligence agency of the Republic of China , including military intelligence.-History:...