A reflective door (image: Dongjak Police Station)
SEOUL, Oct. 19 (Korea Bizwire) – A reflective door that can keep rapists and other street criminals at bay has been installed in some townhouses in Seoul. The police station in Dongjak District in the southwest of Seoul said on October 17 that it has created a model street with rows of 30 tenement houses by attaching reflective sheets on the entrance doors of the houses as part of a campaign to make women feel at ease when walking home at night.
The reflective sheet with the width of 30 centimeters (12 inches) is affixed on the outer part of the door so that the woman entering the house can see the person behind. A police station official explained, “It may have the effect of thwarting the potential perpetrator from committing a crime as the mirror exposes his face.”
In addition to the mirror-like reflective stickers, the police station put fluorescent paint on gas pipes exposed outside the home so that anyone breaking in would be easily caught even at night. Wall paintings and road signs were also put up in the entrance to the street.
The project to create a crime-free street was joined by the community members, as well as the district office and the police station which paid for the expenses in equal portions.
Dongjak Police Station plans to patrol the area once a week jointly with the district office and community volunteers, while trying to expand the crime-free model streets to other areas within the jurisdiction.
Somebody might be stalking you! (image: Steve Hardy/flickr)
By M.H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
