Volunteer Crime Prevention Corps Legalized After 70 Years Since Establishment... Passed National Assembly Plenary Session

Night Patrol by the Autonomous Crime Prevention Unit in Chunghyeon-dong

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The Autonomous Crime Prevention Unit, which has assisted the police in maintaining village security, has become a legally recognized organization for the first time in 70 years since its establishment.

On the 5th, the National Assembly passed the "Act on the Establishment and Operation of Autonomous Crime Prevention Units," which was introduced by Lee Myung-soo, a member of the People Power Party, with 217 votes in favor and 2 abstentions out of 219 members present. The Autonomous Crime Prevention Unit began in 1953 as the "Resident Night Watch System" and has grown to 4,225 organizations nationwide with a scale of 100,442 members. However, unlike volunteer fire brigades, it lacked a legal basis. With the passage of this bill in the National Assembly plenary session, it has been incorporated into the formal system.

The enacted bill specifies that the basic unit of the Autonomous Crime Prevention Unit is organized by "eup, myeon, and dong" (township, town, and neighborhood) and requires notification to the chief of the local police station. The scope of activities is defined as patrol and reporting for crime prevention, guidance and protection of youth, among others. Additionally, provisions were established for the creation of the National Autonomous Crime Prevention Central Association, city/province Autonomous Crime Prevention Federations, and city/county/district Autonomous Crime Prevention Federations. The bill also includes conditions for establishing Autonomous Crime Prevention Units, qualifications for unit leaders, guidance and supervision of activities, and possibilities for administrative and financial support.

However, budget issues remain a challenge. It is estimated that tens of billions of won will be required over the next five years, and further discussions on funding support measures are expected.

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