“Since I took office in May 2008, Taiwan has seen substantial results in maintaining public security, with enhanced law enforcement paying handsome dividends,” Ma said. “The annual total of criminal offenses dropped to 300,000 in 2014, down from over 490,000 in 2007, while the clearance rate shot up to 86 percent from 75 percent.
“Violent crimes and thefts saw 76 percent and 69 percent reductions, respectively, during the seven-year period. Monetary losses caused by fraud, plunged 82 percent from a record high of NT$18.6 billion [US$600.9 million] in 2006 to NT$3.3 billion last year.”
Ma made the remarks while receiving Barry Rider, co-chairman and executive director of U.K.-based Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime at the Presidential Office in Taipei City.
According to the president, cross-border collaboration promoted by platforms such as CISEC is key to the advances in Taiwan’s judicial development.
“Through increasing personnel exchanges, Taiwan and the U.K. have boosted concerted operations in this respect,” he said. “This enhanced relationship is illustrated by Rider’s support for the National Police Agency’s participation in International Association of Airport and Seaport Police.”
Regional partnerships have also played an instrumental role in crime reduction, the president said, citing the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement of 2009.
“The pact signaled the beginning of a new era in mutual trust between Taiwan and mainland China. By facilitating apprehension and extradition of criminals across the strait, we have jointly cracked down on 99 serious felonies while arresting over 6,000 offenders as of March this year.”
Ma said he expects Taiwan to continue expanding judicial collaboration with governments around the world, while playing its part as a responsible member of the international community. (YHC-JSM)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw