'Seoul Companion Dog Patrol' Expanded to 9 Autonomous Districts

All 9 Districts Including 8 Applicants and Pilot Gangdong-gu Promote
Community-Tailored Programs for Supporting the Vulnerable

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Autonomous Police Committee has decided to expand the operation of the ‘Seoul Companion Dog Patrol Squad’ to nine autonomous districts, including eight districts that applied for operation after comprehensively considering the effectiveness of the operation and the reasons for support from the hopeful autonomous districts, as well as Gangdong-gu, where the pilot operation has ended.

Seoul plans to expand to nine autonomous districts across five regions: Southeast area (Gangdong, Songpa, Seocho), Southwest area (Geumcheon, Gangseo), Northwest area (Mapo, Seodaemun), Downtown area (Seongdong), and Northeast area (Dongdaemun). Starting with Gangdong-gu, where effectiveness was recognized through the pilot operation, companion dog patrol members will be selected by region including Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest areas, and patrol activities will be conducted in all nine autonomous districts by September.

Additionally, the Seoul Metropolitan Autonomous Police Committee will operate patrol activity programs for accompanying vulnerable groups in the community, reflecting various opinions from Gangdong-gu patrol members who participated in the pilot operation from May 2 to June 30. These programs include ‘Accompanying Walks with Elderly Living Alone for Silver Companionship,’ ‘Safe Walks for Children Going to and from School,’ and ‘Accompanying Walks for At-Risk Youth.’

In particular, companion dog families who hesitate to participate in patrol activities due to their dogs’ illness or old age can also participate by using dog strollers for regular walks, with selection through application and screening.

Kim Hak-bae, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Autonomous Police Committee, said, “We will actively reflect various opinions, including suggestions from participants, during the expanded operation period of the Seoul Companion Dog Patrol Squad,” and added, “We will do our best to strengthen the organic cooperation system between the committee, the jurisdictional police stations, and autonomous districts to ensure the stable establishment of the autonomous police system through the linkage of local administration and police administration, and to foster a community policing culture.”

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