[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The police are abolishing the 'Lifestyle Crime Team,' which was introduced to eradicate everyday crimes, after seven years.
On the 18th, according to the police, the police leadership recently decided to disband the Lifestyle Crime Team, partially absorb its personnel into the Violent Crime Unit, and assign the rest to the Economic Crime Unit and others.
The Lifestyle Crime Team was introduced in 2015 within the detective divisions of frontline police stations, focusing on everyday crimes easily encountered in daily life, such as bicycle and smartphone theft, and has been conducting investigative activities accordingly.
The police have reportedly judged that the team has somewhat achieved its purpose, as crimes like burglary and theft have decreased recently, and that personnel reassignment is necessary to reinforce units with significantly increased investigative demands, such as economic and cyber investigations.
However, this decision has sparked dissatisfaction within the police internal network. Criticism mainly centers on whether this effectively amounts to a reduction in personnel. One police officer pointed out, "Removing detective team members who are deployed for various tasks such as protests, missing persons, and violent crimes is ultimately just a reshuffling of resources."
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