Will Rural District Police Stations and Substations Be Reorganized?… National Police Agency Considers 'Metropolitan Unit Regional Police Offices'

Introduction of Weekly Police Substations... Nighttime Response by Adjacent Central District Police Stations and Substations
Expectations for Improved Working Conditions, Considering Security Demand
"First, Sufficient Field Opinion Collection"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The National Police Agency is considering introducing 'metropolitan-level regional police stations (central police stations)' in rural fishing and farming areas. Police boxes and substations that operate 24 hours a day but have low nighttime security demand will be changed to operate only during the day, while metropolitan regional police stations will respond to nighttime reports. If officially introduced, significant changes in local police operations are expected.

According to the police on the 2nd, the National Police Agency is currently reviewing a plan to change the 3-shift 1-team (24-hour work followed by rest/off-duty) substations in rural fishing and farming areas into 'daytime substations.' Daytime substations will assign 2 to 4 personnel per day to respond to 112 emergency calls during the day but will not operate at night or on holidays.

During the hours when daytime substations are not operating, metropolitan-level regional police stations will handle 112 emergency calls from adjacent areas. For example, if a county currently has seven police boxes and substations operating 24 hours regardless of day or night, it will be reorganized into two central police boxes/substations and five daytime substations. At night, these central police stations will respond to reports and deploy mobile patrol units if necessary.

If this system is introduced, it is expected to reduce the personnel burden in areas with low nighttime security demand. Concentrating personnel at central police stations will also enable more active response to reports. In fact, in rural fishing and farming areas, despite very few reports at night, one team still has to be on duty, increasing the workload and adding pressure to police stations with many reports. This effectively allows for personnel redistribution according to security demand.

However, thorough analysis of security demand is required beforehand to implement this. It is necessary to judge the pros and cons of introducing central police stations based on data such as the number of 112 emergency calls received and handled by time in the area. Opinions among field police officers are divided on this. While some express positive views that "it is worth evaluating the pros and cons after a pilot implementation," others respond that "reorganization should be carried out to further strengthen field personnel." At a press briefing held that day, Police Chief Song Min-heon said, "Nothing has been decided," but added, "Over the past decade, efficient personnel management, security demand, and working conditions for staff have not been properly improved. We will make decisions after fully collecting opinions from the field."

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