Taiwan News
Date: 2016-03-29
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit system will arm all of its 
security guards with batons in the wake of several public safety incidents in the past few days.
On Monday, a 4-year-old girl was decapitated in the streets of Taipei City. One day later, an environmental worker was attacked with a saw on an intersection in New Taipei City and a police officer was injured in a knife attack at the capital’s Xinbeitou MRT station.
Even though no incidents happened in Kaohsiung, the city’s MRT system said Tuesday that within the near future, all of its guards would be equipped with batons. Until now, only guards patrolling at the busiest stations would be armed, reports said.
The decision was reportedly made just hours after the incident at the Taipei MRT station. With an increase in random violence, there was a need to improve public security, the Kaohsiung MRT reportedly said. The Xinbeitou attack also led to a higher state of awareness for all guards and MRT police officers in the Kaohsiung system. [FULL STORY]
