Traffic Accidents Down 23.7% YoY
21 Illegal Entertainment Businesses Caught
Monitoring Concerns Over Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] During this Chuseok holiday, crimes such as murder and robbery, categorized as the 'five major crimes,' as well as traffic accidents in Seoul decreased compared to previous years, ensuring a peaceful holiday security environment.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 22nd that they implemented the 'Comprehensive Chuseok Holiday Security Measures' over a 10-day period before and after the holiday (September 13?22), maintaining smooth traffic flow for holiday travelers and stable security without major incidents or accidents.
First, the average daily occurrence of the five major crimes (murder, robbery, sexual violence, theft, and assault) during this Chuseok period was 81 cases, a 4.9% decrease compared to 85.2 cases during the same period last year. Additionally, through traffic management in congested areas and safety activities focused on accident-prone zones, traffic accidents were recorded at 212 cases, a 23.7% reduction from the previous year.
To create a safe holiday atmosphere free from crime during this period, the police conducted proactive preventive activities by inspecting crime-vulnerable factors in advance. A total of 41,115 personnel, including community police and mobile units, were mobilized to conduct visible patrols focusing on crime-prone areas. From before the holiday, they carried out preventive diagnostics and crime prevention publicity activities at financial institutions (230 locations), jewelry stores (233 locations), and convenience stores (488 locations) that are vulnerable to crime due to single-person shifts and late-night operations, aiming to address crime vulnerabilities.
Furthermore, monitoring was conducted on 3,327 cases involving families at risk of domestic violence recurrence and children at risk of abuse to assess the risk of recurrence and the need for protection and support, thereby strengthening protection activities for socially vulnerable groups. Joint inspections with local governments and related agencies were also carried out at entertainment establishments, resulting in the crackdown on 21 illegal businesses (373 people) that operated unlawfully despite government quarantine policies.
For traffic management, 3,063 traffic police officers were proactively deployed in areas expected to be congested, and one unmarked patrol car along with 138 traffic patrol cars were dispatched to carry out traffic accident prevention activities. In particular, measures such as ▲temporary parking allowance around traditional markets and ▲special traffic management policies for habitual congestion areas, implemented after approval by the Seoul Metropolitan Autonomous Police Commission for the convenience of citizens, received positive responses.
In addition, efforts were made to maintain peaceful Chuseok holiday security through ▲visible criminal activities focused on crime-prone locations (with a total of 7,983 personnel deployed), ▲special field activities at foreign tourist sites in cooperation with related agencies, and ▲joint operations by subway police units and security guards. A Seoul police official stated, "We will do our best to create a safe Seoul through proactive security activities that allow citizens to feel safe and satisfied."
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