Seoul City's 'Ansim Maeul Security Guards'... Prevented Over 2,500 Safety Accidents

9 Months Since Implementation, 92.3% Project Satisfaction Rate

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] Seoul City announced on the 22nd that the ‘Safe Village Security Guards’ program, which was officially launched in April this year to create a safe nighttime return environment for citizens such as single-person households, has prevented over 2,500 daily safety incidents in nine months. Overall project satisfaction also reached 92.3%, establishing the program as a guardian of citizens’ nighttime safety.

The ‘Seoul City Safe Village Security Guards’ project involves pairs of security guards patrolling repeatedly during late-night hours (9 PM to 2:30 AM the next day) in safety blind spots such as narrow alleys where police vehicle patrols are difficult. They work to prevent crimes and protect residents’ daily lives. After a two-month pilot project last year (October to December), the program was implemented in 15 districts from April to December this year.

A total of 63 Safe Village Security Guards, composed of former police officers and martial arts experts, carried out more than 2,500 activities over nine months this year (about 1,700 actions related to hazardous facility measures and about 800 cases of citizen protection and escort support). This is a significant increase compared to the 160 safety prevention activities conducted during the two-month pilot last year, effectively filling security blind spots unreachable by police patrol vehicles.

Key activities include discovering a gas leak in a residential basement boiler room, preventing what could have been a major accident; calming a female intoxicated person who was causing self-harm disturbances and handing her over to police and ambulance services; and assisting citizens requesting accompaniment on dark nighttime routes to ensure their safe return home.

Additionally, they prevented potential dangers by identifying poorly maintained facilities. For example, they reported damaged concrete under the stairs of a multi-family house that posed a collapse risk to relevant authorities for action. They also discovered water leakage on roads caused by burst water pipes and sagging street electrical wires, preventing possible electrocution accidents.

Seoul City awarded commendations from the mayor to 10 Safe Village Security Guards who excellently fulfilled their role as protectors of citizen safety.

Meanwhile, Seoul City conducted a satisfaction survey among local residents, including single-person households, regarding the Safe Village Security Guards program, following up on the survey from the first half of the year. The perception of safety regarding crime in residential areas increased significantly from 53.5% before the program to 72.8% after, a rise of 19.3 percentage points. Satisfaction with the program reached 92.3%, up 1.3 percentage points from the first half, maintaining high approval. In particular, 95.3% responded that the program helps prevent crime, and 96.3% said it provides psychological stability, increases of 2.1 and 4.2 percentage points respectively compared to the first half, indicating substantial support for safer nighttime returns among local residents.

Considering the high satisfaction on the ground, Seoul City plans to collaborate with the Seoul Autonomous Police Committee next year to more finely address security blind spots in areas densely populated by single-person households by jointly utilizing outposts with local autonomous crime prevention squads, sharing security know-how from professional security companies, and strengthening patrol activities in crime-vulnerable areas.

Kim Seonsun, Director of the Women and Family Policy Office, said, “During the night when citizens are asleep, various large and small accidents continuously occur without our knowledge. Neglecting small accidents can lead to major ones, so neighborhood safety guardians like the Safe Village Security Guards are essential.” She added, “Next year, we will do our best to create an environment where citizens, including single-person households, can live safely by strengthening cooperation with autonomous crime prevention squad members who have the will and capability in each region.”

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