'Community Policing' Gaining Importance Amid COVID-19 Spread... Focus on Preventive Police Activities

Discussion on 2,303 Public Safety Issues from January to May
COVID-19 Response with the Most Cases at 317
Establishing Safety Nets for Socially Vulnerable Groups and Local Public Security

Police officer checking the body temperature of homeless people. / Photo by National Police Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Amid the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the police’s ‘community policing’ activities are receiving attention. They are focusing on tailored quarantine-oriented police activities and are being recognized for their role in preventing the spread of COVID-19 among blind spots such as the homeless.

According to the National Police Agency on the 8th, from January to May this year, 2,303 security issues were discussed and solutions were devised at 255 police stations nationwide through the Community Policing Council. The Community Policing Council is a system where related police functions (such as community safety, investigation, women and youth) participate 2 to 3 times a month to discuss local security issues, and once a month, the police chief meeting checks the progress and decides on important matters. The purpose is for the police and the community to solve security problems together.

In particular, during the COVID-19 spread phase, quarantine measures tailored to each region and police station situation were established, and quarantine-oriented police activities were carried out for groups excluded from the quarantine safety net. The most frequently discussed agenda item by the council during this period was COVID-19 response (371 cases).

For example, the Seongnam Jungwon Police Station in Gyeonggi Province, as the risk of COVID-19 infection increased near subway stations where homeless people are concentrated, collaborated with related organizations such as the subway station, homeless support center, and community center to conduct fever checks and distribute masks to the homeless, while carrying out disinfection and preventive patrol activities. The Seongbuk Police Station in Seoul discussed the roles of all departments through the council to minimize security gaps caused by COVID-19 and established a rapid testing hotline for police officers with suspected symptoms in cooperation with the local health center.

The council also contributed to building a local security safety net that could be neglected due to COVID-19. The Nambu Police Station in Ulsan installed safety facilities such as emergency bells, security CCTV, and pedestrian lights in aging buildings and areas with many elderly living alone through crime prevention diagnosis and collecting residents’ opinions. As the number of tourists to Jeju Island relatively increased due to COVID-19, the Dongbu Police Station in Jeju prepared countermeasures and conducted focused crackdowns and order maintenance activities against frequent solicitation, illegal road occupation, and traffic violations around Udo Island.

Security measures reflecting local residents’ opinions were also promoted. The Yeonsu Police Station in Incheon strengthened security activities such as joint patrols and installation of LED sensor lights through residents’ meetings on youth delinquency issues within apartment complexes. The Jeonju Deokjin Police Station in Jeonbuk introduced a system using 3,858 taxis in the jurisdiction as reporting agents, providing rewards to major reporting drivers and incentives such as entering ‘Good Mileage’ points.

Considering the ongoing COVID-19 situation, the police plan to ensure thorough local security by utilizing ‘untact (non-face-to-face)’ methods for collecting opinions. A National Police Agency official emphasized, “We plan to discover agenda items such as quarantine-oriented police activities targeting socially vulnerable groups and to activate various forms of residents’ meetings.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.