Now that I have your attention…
I’ve noticed Taipei police parking their ‘mobile police station’ vans in public areas with lights flashing constantly.
This is copied 100% from China where they use it to ward off dissent and demonstrate their presence in public spaces.
Anybody else concerned about this trend? Honestly had to look twice to believe what I was seeing. I travel in China regularly and they come across to me as a major tool of repression.
not new, seen that before. Maybe more common now.
the big police busses with wire over the windows, and the trailers of razor wire are more intimidating.
Common in the UK also.
I do hope it has more to do with making a statement of presence in the MRT and other public crowd gathering areas due to recent attacks, and not so much as to dissuade youngsters against protesting, as we all know that will have as much desired effect as adding gasoline to a wildfire.
Do a Google search for “visible police presence in public” and you will find many western countries promoting and adopting this strategy, and the public asking for more. Doesn’t seem to have anything to do “repression.”
Maybe not over there, but coming back from China and seeing them in Taipei, especially after the events of recent times,
gets me thinking.
I believe this is one of Mr.Ke’s initiatives. Aren’t they closing down several police headquarters and doing the mobile police van thing to save city money? There’s an article somewhere about this. Not sure of details. If those vans would bust traffic violations then we got something, otherwise just more distraction and useless cops doing nothing
Maybe I’m getting it all wrong, too much time in China. You’d think they’d make them cuter then wot?
And yes there were always cops hanging around doing absolutely nothing as far as I could see.
[quote=“urodacus”]not new, seen that before. Maybe more common now.
the big police busses with wire over the windows, and the trailers of razor wire are more intimidating.[/quote]
I agree. Coming to work every day to that is really depressing. I always get a knot in my stomach whenever I see the cops grab their shields and get into formation… to face a contingent of 20 amas and akons asking for justice in whatever bad deal they have been bulldozed under.
One of my neighbors is coincidentally one of our entrance cops -very handsome, very tall. The smile on my face to greet him as he calls me a funny name disappears every time I see him holding one of those metal batons they use in the ol country to bash people’s heads in. Which he has been doing a lot daily. My reaction is why do you need that here? :loco:
Seems Ke and Shanghai mayor are buddy buddy, maybe he is picking up tips from the mainlanders.
Speaking of police presence, anyone got any idea what was going on over at the Far Eastern Shangri-la Hotel today around 12:45-1:00?
Cops everywhere. Even had cats posted as far up Anhe Road as Carnegie’s. I think it was the same on the Dunhua side. Looked like they were getting ready for something or someone? Foreign dignitary? Jay-Z and Beyonce?
I wish they would ride horses. Horses would be cool.
Yes, but then someone who have to take shit from the cops.
Just wondering, do civilians have the right to request for a police officer to show their identification if a “police” officer approaches you? I’ve heard about some fake cops in Taiwan before.
[quote=“Gryphon”]Yes, but then someone would have to take shit from the cops.
Just wondering, do civilians have the right to request for a police officer to show their identification if a “police” officer approaches you? I’ve heard about some fake cops in Taiwan before.[/quote]
What happened to the edit posts button, kemosabe?
Hello Kitty Kops?
Any grave diggers in those death vans?