Taichung City Councilor Lin Qi-feng donated NT$100,000 in election subsidies to urge the city government to establish a reward system to combat drug driving

From January to August this year, Taichung City banned 1,826 drug-driving cases. When stopped and checked, frontline police officers may encounter refusal to test, escape and even crash, but they only receive merit and commendation, and there is no additional substantial bonus. City councilors Lin Qifeng, Shi Zhichang, Zheng Gongjin and Yang Dianzhong pointed out that the police may become human shields as soon as the accelerator is pressed by a drug-impaired driver, and requested the city government to establish a reward system for the drug-driving ban. However, Mayor Lu Xiuyan did not make further commitments. Lin Qifeng immediately announced that he would donate NT$100,000 in this election expense subsidy to the police station as a drug-driving drug ban reward system.

Lin Qifeng pointed out that from 2012 to the end of August 2015, a total of 3,208 cases of drug driving were banned in Taichung City, from 62 cases in 2012, 225 cases in 2013, and 1,095 cases in 2014, to 1,826 cases from January to August this year alone. The police also explained , after the introduction of saliva drug rapid screening on November 20 last year, police officers can conduct inspections more quickly. Therefore, the increase in crackdowns cannot simply be interpreted as a worsening of drug driving. However, it also shows that with the advancement of law enforcement tools, the risks and illegal numbers of drug driving that were hidden on the road in the past are being uncovered one by one.

Lin Qifeng said that drug-driving arrests are by no means ordinary arrests. A few days ago, a suspect even crashed and escaped, and the police fired 16 shots to successfully stop him. We cannot just remember one award in the end. Can Taichung City be the first in the country to go one step further than the current regulations and establish a local substantive reward mechanism?

Police Chief Wu Jingtian said that refusal to test for drug driving has legal consequences. If the police find drugs or smoking paraphernalia in the car, they will apply to the prosecutor for compulsory testing. The 100,000 yuan donated by the congressman will be processed in accordance with the relevant regulations on public welfare solicitation after the election. He will continue to encourage all frontline police colleagues who carry out drug driving investigations.