Taipei: When 27-year-old Chang Wen unleashed chaos by setting off smoke grenades and stabbing bystanders at Taipei Main Station's MRT station and near Zhongshan Station, the slow police response has brought the Taipei MRT system's security into question.
According to Focus Taiwan, Taipei City Councilor Yu Shu-hui pointed out that at the time of the stabbings at Taipei Main Station, no metro police officers were present, suggesting a possible manpower shortage. Yu emphasized that a more significant issue was a scheduling gap, which allowed Chang to escape unimpeded from the MRT Taipei Main Station.
The Taipei Metro report detailed that Chang entered the MRT station via the M8 entrance at 5:23 p.m., causing havoc with smoke grenades and stabbing passengers, resulting in one fatality and three injuries. Chang then evaded capture by changing clothes and navigating through various station areas. Police did not arrive at the MRT's Taipei Main Station until 5:33 p.m., by which time Chang had already fled to the Eslite Spectrum Nanxi department store near Zhongshan Station.
The Rapid Transit Division explained the absence of officers at Taipei Main Station, noting they had to be dispatched from Zhongshan Station. The division manages 117 stations and over 2 million daily passengers with only 80 officers per shift, requiring staggered patrols for rapid responses. However, Yu criticized the scheduling, describing it as a coverage gap rather than staggered.
Professor Wang Po-chi of Ming Chuan University's Department of Criminal Justice remarked that while the one-hour gap was concerning, it was not unexpected given the limited police resources. The Taipei Metro's jurisdiction, involving multiple cities and a complex network, complicates rapid responses. On average, it takes metro police about nine minutes to respond to incidents.
The Taipei Main Station's intricate structure, which includes MRT, regular rail, and high-speed rail systems, further complicates operations, involving three different police departments with shared jurisdiction. Chang Hui-chieh, an assistant professor at MCU, suggested joint drills among police departments and public involvement to establish a response mechanism for random attacks.
In response to the attacks, the Rapid Transit Division increased deployed officers from 80 to 320, drawing additional personnel from the Taipei City Police Department's Mobile Division. However, Samuel Lin, another MCU assistant professor, cautioned that short-term personnel increases could lead to fatigue and suggested technology, such as AI surveillance and tracking systems, to enhance security.
Yu mentioned plans to upgrade surveillance cameras at major metro stations with AI-integrated systems, capable of detecting potential threats and abnormal behaviors, with implementation expected next year. This AI network aims to alert police and track suspicious individuals, addressing manpower limitations.