"Police Must Stick to Basics to Gain Trust"… Enhance Investigation and Officer Competencies

One Year Since Police-Prosecutor Investigation Authority Adjustment
<Part 2> Overcoming Distrust to Regain Trust

Urgent Need to Enhance Police Officers' Capabilities
Must Improve On-Site Response Skills
Passive Attitude Due to Litigation Exposure
Systems and Laws Should Be Established for Proactive Public Safety Administration

National Police Agency Commissioner Kim Chang-ryong closed his eyes while answering reporters' questions on the afternoon of the 25th of last month in front of Nonhyeon Police Station in Namdong-gu, Incheon, regarding the 'Incheon Interfloor Noise Weapon Assault' incident.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] Incheon inter-floor noise stabbing, stalking murder in Jung-gu, Seoul, and confinement murder in an officetel in Mapo-gu are representative cases this year that have sparked public distrust in the police. In one incident, a police officer left the scene while the suspect was armed with a weapon; a woman under police protection due to stalking pressed the emergency button on her smartwatch but was not protected due to a location error and was killed. Additionally, despite filing complaints for assault and other charges, investigations were repeatedly delayed, leading to voices claiming that the victim died due to assault and abuse. All these cases drew criticism that the police's inadequate response worsened the damage. Public opinion toward the police also deteriorated in previous cases such as the abuse of 16-month-old adopted child Jeong-in and the assault on a taxi driver by former Deputy Minister of Justice Lee Yong-gu.

This year marked the first year of the adjustment of investigative authority between the prosecution and the police, granting the police primary authority to conclude investigations and removing the prosecution's supervisory authority over police investigations. With the long-awaited adjustment of investigative authority realized and increased powers, it was an important year for the police. However, due to inadequate responses and lack of expertise, evaluations emerged stating that "disappointment outweighed expectations."

Experts unanimously stated, "If the police remain faithful to the basics, trust can be restored." They also identified strengthening investigative capabilities as the top priority for improvement. Seung Jae-hyun, a research fellow at the Korea Institute of Criminal Justice Policy, said, "In the past, cases were handled under the prosecution's guidance and supervision, but with the adjustment of investigative authority, the police now handle cases from start to finish," adding, "The police have been granted not only crime prevention but also investigative authority, so efforts to completely reform and strengthen investigative capabilities are necessary."

To resolve the inadequate responses seen in incidents such as the inter-floor noise stabbing, it is also necessary to enhance the capabilities of police officers who interact with people on the front lines. Researcher Seung said, "Capability enhancement from a crime prevention perspective is also needed," and added, "It is important to develop the on-site response abilities of police officers who first encounter citizens at local police stations or precincts and to improve their welfare."

Systems to guarantee police security activities must also be established. Oh Yoon-sung, professor of Police Administration at Soonchunhyang University, said, "Frontline police officers suffer and sometimes show passive attitudes due to exposure to lawsuits arising from law enforcement processes," and added, "Legal and institutional conditions must be created to empower the police to actively carry out security administration and respond strongly to offenders."

Gwak Dae-kyung, professor of Police Administration at Dongguk University, also said, "Security demands have become more diverse and segmented than before, and the level of expectations has increased," but added, "However, there is still a system and atmosphere that hold individual police officers accountable, and the institutional and legal foundations supporting the police are insufficient, which seems to hinder active responses."

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