Performance evaluations have long been used by the NPA to encourage hard-working police officers and help weed out the unqualified ones.

But the agency found that the more than 68,000 police officers received over two million citations, averaging 30 citations each, last year.

The total number of citations hit a record high of 2.131 million in 2005, up sharply from 1.4 million citations registered in 2001 while the public felt the public security on the island continued deteriorating.

The lax awarding of citations has actually worked against the purpose of eliminating laggards on the police force because citations are allowed to offset admonitions or demerits levied on undesirable policemen and let them stay on the force.

A record 1,600 citations were planned to be conferred on the 205 police officers participating in the investigation into the mysterious shooting of President Chen Shui-bian and his running mate Annette Lu on March 19, 2004.

A mysteriously drowned man was named as the assassin, but his family are still challenging the conclusion drawn up by the law enforcement agencies.

The plan of massive citations was scrapped in the last minute following protests by opposition lawmakers.

Even officials at the Ministry of Interior, which supervises the operations of the NPA, frowned at the loose citations that have been used a major factor for promotions.

Motorists in Taiwan were especially irked by policemen who take photos for temporary parking at inconvenient places or those who often conceal themselves to catch other minor breaking of traffic rules in order to get excess citations.

A senior police official revealed that the NPA has long planned to tightened the criteria for giving out citations, but the plan was put on hold for fear of adversely impacting the morale of the policemen.

But some lower-ranked policemen opposed the plan because they have to regularly work overtime to serve and protect the people with no financial pay.

Some citations can be reasonable compensation for the extra time and efforts put in by the policemen, they explained.

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