《TAIPEI TIMES》 New police chief will not be put in tough spot: Ko

By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je （柯文哲） yesterday said he would not put newly appointed Taipei Police Department Commissioner Chen Jia-chang （陳嘉昌） in a difficult position and would deal with meeting him at a later date.

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Ko has avoided Chen at three public events and had refused to comment about him for several days.

The Ministry of the Interior on Tuesday night announced a reshuffling of high-ranking police officials, including Chen’s assignment to Taipei.

Ko on Wednesday told the Taipei City Council that he was personally informed by Minister of the Interior Yeh Jiunn-rong （葉俊榮） about the reshuffle only 30 minutes before it was announced, saying it was like a “sneak attack.”

On Thursday, Ko at the last minute said he could not attend Chen’s inauguration and declined a personal visit request by Chen, saying that he had a meeting in the afternoon. Ko was also absent at the Taipei City Government’s public safety meeting on Friday.

The three missed opportunities to meet Chen have been seen by many as an expression of Ko’s disappointment or anger toward the central government for appointing Chen without first asking for his opinion. He has also dodged reporters’ questions on the issue.

Asked about a meeting with Democratic Progressive Party caucus whip Ker Chien-ming （柯建銘） on Tuesday evening, Taipei City Government spokesman Liu Yi-ting （劉奕霆） on Friday said Ker advised Ko to be tolerant, so the mayor is learning to be tolerant, adding that Ko would meet with Chen after he has become accustomed to his new job.

After running into his parents at the TLC Picnic Day event yesterday afternoon, Ko stopped to take questions from the media.

“We will definitely not make it difficult for the police to do perform their duties, because I have always believed that the police and military are civil servants handling the nation’s public affairs,” Ko said.

“However, I cannot hide my emotions,” he said, adding that he just wanted to avoid making an ugly expression that would be caught by the media that might make Chen feel awkward, so he decided to wait before handling the issue.

“He is not upset. He is not the type of person to get upset about it,” Ko’s mother, Ho Jui-ying （何瑞英）, said, adding that she attended the event to surprise him and advise him to get more rest.

“Everyone has told me that the new commissioner is a good, capable person,” she added.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES