Four patrol cars made their rounds in an alley in the Gangseo district. The reason the cars patrol in line is to threaten potential burglars, and to investigate the tiniest signs of theft. (Image : Yonhap)
Seoul, July 27 (Korea Bizwire) – “This is the Gangseo patrol. We are making rounds to protect the safety of local residents. Gangseo police are always nearby.”
Four patrol cars made their rounds in an alley in the Gangseo district. They were making announcements as they patrolled the streets.
The cars were affiliated with the ‘Wide-area mobile patrol team’ that Gangseo Police Station established at the beginning of the year. This is the only organization in Seoul that goes on patrol to prevent burglaries at vacant houses.
The area has a high number of families where both parents work to make a living, leaving the area vacant during the day, and vulnerable to burglaries. Reflecting on the circumstances, the Gangseo police decided to set up the special patrols.
Three or four cars are assigned in rotation from police boxes and patrol divisions nearby. They patrol the streets of Gangseo-gu in line from 1pm to 3pm in the afternoon.
The reason the cars patrol in line is to threaten potential burglars, and to investigate the tiniest signs of theft.
The patrols clearly announce their rounds, not just to prevent crime, but also to give residents who stay at home during the day a sense of relief.
Stay at home mom Choi (35) fears that someone might break into her house when she is alone. “The announcements from the patrol make me feel safe, because I know the police are nearby in case something bad happens.”
In addition to positive feedback from the residents, numbers show that the patrols are effective. There were 981 burglaries that occurred during the first half of the year. This is a 26.1 percent decrease compared to the 1,329 cases that occurred during the same period last year.
Happy with the results, officials are planning to enlarge the patrols at night. A ‘Multi-purpose patrol’ will start to operate next month, patrolling vulnerable areas at night. The team will also deal with violent crimes that occur in the district.
Choi Ho-yeol, head of the Gangseo Police Department, promises a safer environment. “With our ‘Wide-area mobile patrol team’ working day and night, we will do our best to protect the safety of the residents, and give them the confidence that we will always be there.”
By Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
