The festive season in Taiwan draws large crowds and security measures will be stepped up this year, Chiang said.
Police deployment has been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces while Taipei city officials had “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours, Chiang said.
Security checkpoints and explosive detection measures will also be introduced for large-scale events, he added.
Metro Taipei announced that it had shut down a Christmas market near Zhongshan station on Saturday, which will remain closed for three days in honour of victims.
Other Taiwanese cities are taking similar measures.
New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi said city officials will work closely with Taiwan’s central government to boost police patrols and protection, to ensure members of the public could participate in events safely “with peace of mind”.
Police in Tainan city said more than 200 officers and civilian personnel would be deployed, along with bomb-sniffing dogs at various events including an upcoming Christmas concert at the Yonghua Civic Center.
In Kaohsiung, local police have increased deployments and strengthened joint security patrols at popular places like Central Park, Yuzhu Shopping District, and key Kaohsiung metro stations for the festive season.
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