Gwangjin-gu Selected as 'Top Security Partner' by Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

Efforts to Prevent Recurrence and Proactively Address Domestic Violence Crisis Households through Gwangjin-gu Sonamu Center Operation

Counseling scene at Gwangjin-gu Sonamu Center

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwangjin-gu (District Mayor Kim Seon-gap) has been selected as the 'Top Partner' for community policing in the second half of 2021, hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency selects a total of six organizations, including social groups, public institutions, and companies that have contributed to protecting socially vulnerable groups, as 'Top Partners for Community Policing' every first and second half of the year.

Gwangjin-gu was recognized for its achievements in various activities aimed at preventing recurrence and proactively preventing domestic violence in crisis households after opening the Sonamu Center (Integrated Support Center for Crisis Families) in October 2018, and was selected as a Top Partner.

The Sonamu Center in Gwangjin-gu has six staff members, including integrated case managers, abuse prevention police officers, and counselors, who work full-time to provide one-stop dedicated services from initial counseling to social welfare service provision and continuous follow-up management for crisis families reported to 112.

Over the past year, the center has discovered and supported a total of 1,899 crisis families in blind spots within the district.

Specifically, this includes ▲1,421 cases of counseling and linkage to specialized institutions ▲77 cases of integrated case intervention ▲401 cases of management for households at risk of recurrence.

In particular, in September last year, a home visit investigation was conducted for a foreign-national household reported to 112 as suspected of domestic violence, where signs of child abuse were detected. Due to the serious illness of the primary caregiver, high-level integrated case management including prompt protection and treatment was carried out.

Additionally, in cases requiring immediate intervention, with prior consent, counseling is conducted based on the report contents with the household, followed by tailored services or referral to specialized institutions after assessing the situation. For high-risk households with frequent reports or lost contact, joint visits are conducted with abuse prevention police officers to ensure safety before proceeding with counseling.

Legal support is also provided through the Legal Home Doctor (lawyer) affiliated with the Welfare Policy Division, and customized services are offered in cooperation with specialized related institutions such as the local Housing Welfare Center and Mental Health Center.

Kim Seon-gap, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, “We will do our best to cooperate with the Gwangjin Police Station to become a reliable support force that victims of domestic violence can trust and rely on, focusing on follow-up management.”

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