Operation of Intensive Reporting Period for Stalking Crimes
Strengthening Intelligence Collection on Violence and Assault Against Foreigners
Protection of Victims to Prevent Secondary Harm
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters (NIH) announced on the 7th that it will carry out special criminal activities for "year-end and New Year public safety" for one month from the 8th of this month to January 7 of next year.
During this period, the police plan to focus their investigative efforts on eradicating "malicious crimes" in daily life, including ▲ stalking crimes ▲ crimes involving the use of weapons ▲ violent crimes committed by foreigners.
First, they will operate a "stalking crime intensive reporting period" during the year-end and New Year holidays. Upon receiving related reports, local police and the Women and Youth Crime Investigation Team, along with available personnel, will be concentrated to prevent these crimes from escalating into serious offenses.
To this end, reporting and counseling centers will be operated in the Women and Youth Divisions of police stations nationwide. They will also actively apply for detention under the Stalking Punishment Act, such as detention in holding cells or detention centers (Provisional Measure No. 4), to effectively isolate offenders. Additionally, a joint task force comprising relevant departments of the National Police Agency will establish response standards by type and operate a "help desk" for stalking cases, providing 24-hour support and consultation on administrative and legal procedures at the field level.
Regarding the recently increasing crimes involving the use of weapons, the police will strictly respond by prioritizing detention investigations, considering the suspect's criminal record and habitual nature. In fact, from January to October this year, there were a total of 7,230 crimes involving weapons, a 1.2% increase compared to the same period last year. The police plan to swiftly apprehend perpetrators through dedicated violent crime teams, additional investigative teams, and cooperative investigations, and will actively apply justifiable self-defense if victims resisted violence.
Furthermore, a special intelligence collection period for violent crimes committed by foreigners will be operated, and in cases of group or organized crimes, specialized investigative teams such as the International Crime Investigation Unit of the provincial police agencies will conduct focused investigations. For victims, multi-faceted support for recovery will be provided in connection with dedicated police officers, and victim protection activities such as the use of pseudonymous statements and hotline establishment will be implemented to prevent retaliatory crimes and secondary damage.
An NIH official stated, "We are taking the current situation seriously and will carry out intensive criminal activities focusing on 'core targets' that cause public anxiety," and urged, "Please actively report stalking crimes during this intensive reporting period, including those involving special relationships such as lovers, colleagues, friends, and neighbors, or cases where victims found it difficult to report due to fear of retaliation."
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