Police Smartwatch GPS Error... Victim Protection System Flaws Highlighted
Victim A Reported via Smartwatch, Police Dispatched 500m Away
Similar Incident Occurred 4 Years Ago
Experts: "Smartwatch Should Be Worn by Perpetrator, Not Victim... Develop System to Protect Victims"
The suspect Kim Byung-chan, who was receiving police protection due to stalking, is being transferred to the prosecution from Seoul Namdaemun Police Station on the 29th for killing his ex-lover.
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] There are growing concerns about loopholes in the police victim protection system. It was revealed that a stalking crime victim under protection sent incorrect location data via a smart watch provided to them, causing the police to dispatch to a location far from the actual scene.
Criticism has intensified after it was disclosed that the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) had pointed out GPS location errors in police smart watches three years ago.
◆ Victim reported twice, but police dispatched to wrong location, "Golden time was missed"
On the morning of the 29th, the Namdaemun Police Station in Seoul sent Kim Byung-chan, accused of stalking murder, to the prosecution under eight charges including trespassing, threats, injury, and retaliatory murder under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. Kim is accused of stabbing and killing his ex-girlfriend, victim A, with a weapon at an officetel in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 19th.
After breaking up with A, Kim continued stalking crimes for about five months, including verbal abuse and contact. Investigations revealed he also committed special confinement, trespassing, and injury. Consequently, A reported the stalking and began receiving police protection from the 7th.
At the time of the crime, the victim sent an emergency distress signal via the smart watch provided, but the police dispatched to Myeong-dong, Seoul, about 500 meters away from the scene, missing the "golden time." This was due to the smart watch transmitting incorrect GPS data.
It was further heartbreaking to learn that A had shown the smart watch to a worried friend during her lifetime, saying, "I have an all-purpose watch. The police station is right in front of me, so I was somewhat lucky."
◆ Smart watch location errors not new... Expert says "Victims must be protected as much as possible with existing technology"
The smart watch was first introduced in October 2015 to protect crime victims or reporters at risk of retaliatory crimes. When the emergency button is pressed, the police can track the victim's real-time location. However, due to technical defects, sometimes only the location of nearby base stations is detected, which can cause an error margin of about 2 km.
This issue has been raised since four years ago. On August 21, 2017, victim B, who ran a pub in Gangseo-gu, Busan, was killed while under police protection due to threats from an ex-cohabitant. When the perpetrator came to the pub, the victim pressed the smart watch button to report, but only the nearby base station location was transmitted due to GPS errors.
Unable to determine the exact location, the police dispatched to the victim's home instead of the scene, and the victim was found stabbed to death about 10 minutes after sending the distress signal via the smart watch.
In response, the ACRC confirmed police smart watch management issues in January 2018, the year after the incident, and requested improvements. The commission judged that the police should sufficiently inform wearers that "location errors may occur indoors, preventing accurate location display" and strengthen virtual training and education related to smart watches, expressing improvement opinions accordingly.
Meanwhile, as criticism surrounding the smart watch continued, the police held a press conference on the 29th and announced measures to strengthen victim protection. The police stated they would properly provide smart watches to victims and improve accuracy by simultaneously searching base station location data, Wi-Fi, and GPS when a report is made. They also said that if only base station location data is available due to technical defects, police will dispatch to both the reporter's residence and workplace.
Experts believe that the smart watch should be worn by perpetrators rather than victims. Professor Lee Soo-jung, a criminal psychology professor at Kyonggi University, said, "It is appropriate to manage perpetrators rather than victims."
When asked if having perpetrators wear smart watches is similar to electronic anklets (electronic monitoring devices) and whether the scope of electronic anklet application should be expanded, she replied, "No. The current number of electronic anklet subjects is already too large to manage effectively." She added, "Electronic anklets fall under the Ministry of Justice, while smart watches are under police jurisdiction. The police in charge of stalking crimes should manage them." As of July, there were 4,847 subjects wearing electronic anklets, but only 281 personnel managing and supervising them, highlighting the need for increased staffing.
Professor Lee also argued for the need to overhaul the victim protection system. She emphasized, "Various attempts are needed, such as developing an app that connects the victim's phone with a dedicated police officer or revising related laws, to protect victims as much as possible with existing technology."
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