New Taipei Police Accumulated Unused Leave Exceeds 15,000 Days; Police Bureau: Overtime Pay Issued After 2 Years

Central News Agency, New Taipei, June 2. A councilor pointed out today that 3,503 police officers in New Taipei City have been unable to take their overtime leave, with the accumulated unused days exceeding 15,000. The councilor highlighted the long-term high-pressure and overwork, demanding substantive compensation. The New Taipei City Police Bureau responded that compensatory leave is currently prioritized, and if it cannot be taken within two years, overtime pay is issued based on actual hours. Democratic Progressive Party New Taipei City Councilor Huang Shu-chun pointed out today that according to the 2025 survey of overtime hours at the New Taipei City Police Bureau, 3,503 officers could not finish their overtime leave, with a total of 15,124 days accumulated. The Sanchong Precinct had the highest number, with 308 officers failing to take leave, totaling 1,759 days, averaging 5.7 days per person. The Jinshan Precinct and the Criminal Investigation Corps also had an average of 5.5 days per person. Huang said these figures represent the sweat and blood of grassroots officers who sacrifice time with their families to maintain public safety in New Taipei. According to the Civil Service Protection Act, the deadline for compensatory leave for 2025 is two years. However, under heavy workloads and staffing shortages, grassroots officers 'see the leave but cannot take it.' Huang called for substantive compensation, stating that if leave is not taken by the deadline, overtime pay should be issued unconditionally. The city government should budget for 'unused overtime pay' in advance and not force officers to accept 'administrative rewards' due to budget shortages. Furthermore, she suggested that New Taipei should take the lead in reflecting this to the central government, removing the cap on overtime hours, increasing hourly overtime pay, and publicly disclosing unused leave data for each precinct quarterly to actively assist units with high overtime hours. The New Taipei City Police Bureau responded that the current principle for overtime is 'compensatory leave first.' If it cannot be taken within two years, overtime pay is issued, or awards are granted according to National Police Agency regulations. Statistics show that for 2023, a total of NT$7.57 million in overtime pay was issued to New Taipei officers this January. The Police Bureau stated that New Taipei has the largest population in the country at 4.04 million, with 3.38 million vehicles, resulting in heavy workloads. The bureau prioritizes the health and well-being of officers and will continue to implement compensation principles such as 'compensatory leave first,' 'actual overtime pay issuance,' and 'awards' to ensure officers' rights are protected.