"Like a 'Broken Window,' a Street Full of Sexual Crime Concerns: 'Let's Completely Change It'"

Busan Saha Police Station, Public-Private-Police Collaboration to Improve Crime-Vulnerable Areas by Creating 'Sinjangnim Dream Road'

On November 4th, 'Sinjangnim Dream-ro' was completed in Jangnim-dong, Saha-gu, Busan. This project aims to improve the environment of alleys vulnerable to female sex crimes.
[Image source=Busan Police Agency]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] If a broken window is left unattended, other windows will soon break as well. This is the so-called ‘Broken Windows Theory,’ which suggests that neglected disorder fosters more chaos and crime.

The police are drawing attention by promoting a project that completely ‘eliminates’ paths where sexual crimes against women are a concern.

‘Sinjangnim Dream-ro’ in Saha-gu, Busan, was completed on the 4th. This road was a painful site where a sexual violence incident occurred two years ago on a dark night.

The Saha Police Station (Chief Jo Jeong-jae) launched an environmental improvement project targeting crime-vulnerable areas in this alley as part of the Women Crime Prevention Infrastructure Intensive Improvement Project.

Instead of a ‘post-incident remedy’ approach that punishes after an accident, the police chose to actively implement preventive measures to replace the ‘broken windows’ with new ones.

This is a plan to improve the environment of crime-vulnerable areas by listening to residents’ opinions to eliminate situations that increase anxiety.

The project was promoted toward revitalizing community policing to enhance so-called ‘perceived safety.’

In May this year, the Saha Police Station’s Public Safety Division Chief, Crime Prevention Diagnosis Team (CPO), Saha-gu Women and Family Division, and Jangnim 2-dong joined forces to form the Women-Friendly City Resident Participation Group and held the ‘Dream Women’ meeting to discuss perceived safety measures.

Opinions were raised that the alley where the 2018 sexual violence incident occurred and the road passing from Jangnim Subway Station to the residential area were dark and caused anxiety for women returning home.

As a crime prevention measure, the ‘Dream Women’ team, local residents, Saha-gu Office, Saha Police Station, and local neighborhood officials conducted joint on-site inspections and resident surveys, carrying out meticulous preliminary research. They soon reached a consensus on environmental improvement.

For crime-vulnerable areas, the installation of security CCTV, additional security lighting, and concentrated patrol signs reduced residents’ anxiety so that women vulnerable to crime could walk safely.

Environmental improvements such as road surface maintenance, installation of signposts, and mirrors also reduced safety accidents among elderly visitors to the Sinjangnim Sarangchae Senior Welfare Center.

Through collaboration among Saha-gu Office, women’s organizations support groups, and companies, fluorescent paint was applied, murals were created on elementary school retaining walls, and safety fences were installed. This public-private-police collaboration finally completed the project, revealing its face and name.

Thus, the road named ‘Sinjangnim Dream-ro’ was born.

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