Grassroots-level government functionaries must raise their alertness and follow standard operating procedure (SOP) when receiving citizens' reports of emergencies in order to prevent tragedies, the premier declared at today's public security meeting.
"Those units that receive citizens' reports must require their staffers to follow SOP when handling cases. To ensure vigilance, any violation of these rules must be followed by administrative examination or punishment," he said.
A wide variety of other issues were also discussed at the meeting, including drunk driving, crime fighting, fire safety and clampdowns on fake medicine and tainted foods and products.
After hearing the Ministry of the Interior's (MOI) report on the most recent public security trends and analyses, Premier Jiang noted that the number of deaths from drunk driving fell significantly during the first eight months of this year, with a year-on-year decrease of 89 persons (35.04 percent).
Moreover, in the three months since the Criminal Code was amended in June to impose stricter road safety regulations against driving under the influence of alcohol, there have been 37 less deaths than in the same three months in 2012, a decline of 47.77 percent.
"This indicates that drunk driving is gradually coming under control," said the premier. He instructed the MOI to continue raising public awareness of the government's efforts in this area and seeking their support. He also requested the National Police Agency (NPA) to keep tabs on the performance of various local governments and reinforce supervision over those areas still in need of improvement.
The premier commended the police for their successful crackdowns on all crime, from drunk driving to gang activity, drug offenses and illegal possession of firearms, as evidenced by the significant year-on-year drop in criminal cases and rise in the crime resolution rate for January to August. "On the whole, public security is relatively stable," he said.
Fraud is a cause for concern, however, Jiang stated, noting that although total financial losses to fraud have decreased by 13.21 percent year-on-year, or NT$389.66 million (US$13.17 million), losses from telecommunications and Internet fraud each have increased. He asked the NPA to analyze the causes of this trend and reinforce preventive measures.
The premier also instructed the NPA to cooperate with the military and the military police in implementing security maintenance and traffic control during next month's National Day celebrations. Potential incidents should be considered and precautions taken against them, he emphasized.
Following the National Fire Agency's (NFA) fire safety report, Jiang said the first eight months of the year saw declines in the number of fires as well as resulting deaths and property losses compared to the same period last year.
In total, the nation suffered 33 fewer fire-related deaths than in it did from January to August 2012, a decline of 35.9 percent, but increases were registered in certain cities and counties, such as Kaohsiung City, Yilan County, Taitung County and Keelung City.
Kaohsiung, which had seven more deaths than in the same period of the previous year, has already proposed additional fire safety measures in its public safety report in response. The premier directed the NFA to ensure other counties and cities also have improvement plans in place and provide needed assistance to better protect citizens and their property.
Residential fires took 47 lives in the first eight months of this year, 79.6 percent of all fire-related deaths, Jiang noted. He directed the MOI to devote special attention to residential fire safety and assist with on-site safety inspections. Examination and supervision of propane fuel containers in particular must be tightened to ensure safe use, he said.
Since the nation launched the initial phase of fire safety measures for narrow alleyways, 82.5 percent of recommended fire drills have been completed by special municipalities, counties and provincial municipalities. Jiang directed the MOI and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to plan second-phase measures, including marking alleyways as non-parking zones, removing illegal structures and conducting fire drills, and to report their progress on these initiatives at a future public security meeting.
The premier also gave the thumbs up to the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) for diligently cracking down on counterfeit medicine and toxic foods and products to safeguard consumers.
"Public concern over medicine, food and product safety has grown in recent years, and both central and local authorities have set up taskforces and control mechanisms to investigate and monitor such cases," he said. "Competent authorities must implement safety measures and conduct rigorous checks to reassure the public and put the investigative operations suggested by the MJIB into action."