Policing in Taiwan

‘Big questions are asked by good scholarly books, and this book helps comparative scholars think more deeply about modernity, justice and democracy through the prism of police development in Taiwan. Well-written and honest in its assessment of policing in contemporary Taiwan, the book is the first detailed treatment of this subject in English; it will remain a landmark publication for many years to come.’ - Bill Hebenton, Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Manchester, UK

‘The book is substantial, solidly located in historical and political processes in Taiwan and across the region. It reveals the extraordinary difficulties of developing a democratic police force, not only in organizational structures that enhance democratic traditions, but in the development of policies and practices that actually act democratic toward citizens.

In the world today, we are discovering that democracy itself is neither as strong nor as inevitable as we once thought. This book gives some insights into the enormous historical roadblocks that impede (and sometimes that facilitate) democratic development, and how the move to democratization is tied to larger societal and regional international forces. This book is helpful, not only for those who are interested in Taiwan, but in the broad topic of democratic development itself: it provides insight and detail into the processes that sustain and threaten democratic policing, the ways it can be fortified, and the constant pressures to relent and let democracy fail.’ - John Crank, Professor, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Nebraska, Omaha, USA

"This is a must read book not only for law enforcement practitioners and police science scholars, but for sociologists, anthropologists, criminologists, and political scientists interested in comparative East Asian studies, as well as for anyone interested in Asian-Western geopolitical issues and influences." - Laurence Armand French, University of New Hampshire, Police Practice and Research

"Cao, Huang and Sun make a significant contribution to the literature on policing. This is a carefully prepared, well written and informative monograph enriched with recent historical insights on the development of policing in Taiwan. Researchers interested in transnational policing comparisons will find this work extremely useful as a result of the insights revealed. This book will also be suitable for practitioners and administrators who are interested in learning about issues that the police may face during political transition, especially in the context of Chinese societies." - Shun-Yung K. Wang, University of South Florida, Journal of Contemporary Asia