Seoul City Provides '3 Types of Safety Devices' to Prevent Residential Intrusion for Stalking Victims Under Personal Protection

Composition of 'Smart Doorbell' and 'Home CCTV' for Checking Entrance and Home Situations via Mobile Phone

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 24th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will provide a set of three “Safety Equipment” to prevent home intrusion, allowing citizens designated as personal protection targets due to stalking crime victimization or exposure to stalking crime risks to live more securely.

Following previous support for safety devices such as double locks and emergency bells for single-woman households and single-woman stores, the scope of support now newly includes the prevention of stalking crimes. Last year, safety equipment was provided to 2,200 single-person households and stores. The satisfaction rate among recipients was high at 92%.

The “three types of safety equipment” consist of devices designed to prevent home intrusion, one of the main types of stalking crimes. For outdoor security, a “Smart Doorbell” is provided, which allows real-time monitoring of the front door via a mobile phone before and after returning home. For indoor security, a “Home CCTV” is provided to check the situation inside the home when away. Additionally, recipients can choose to receive either a door opening sensor or a police whistle.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to prioritize support for stalking crime victims registered as personal protection targets through recommendations from each police station in the 25 autonomous districts. Besides victims recommended by the police, those who submit an “incident receipt” as proof of damage from stalking crimes or similar offenses can also apply.

Furthermore, Seoul will continue to support single-person households and single-woman stores, which have shown a high satisfaction rate of 92%. For single-person households, from this year, the financial conditions by district will be somewhat relaxed to reflect the recent sharp rise in monthly rent prices. Also, single-man households who have experienced home intrusion crimes will be newly included as eligible recipients.

Single-person households can receive a “Safety Home Set” consisting of three to four items for their safety. In addition to a door lock, this includes a “Double Lock Device for the Front Door” that enables double locking, a “Portable Emergency Bell” that can alert emergencies through alarm sounds or emergency message transmission, and a “Window Lock Device” that prevents windows from opening beyond a certain extent.

For single-woman stores, an “Emergency Bell” that can be linked to the district office’s CCTV control center for emergency dispatch upon reporting will be provided. Single-woman stores can apply for the safety store emergency bell, with priority given to stores that have experienced actual crime damage, are located in crime-vulnerable areas, or are small-scale stores.

Citizens wishing to receive support can download the application form from each district office’s website starting May 1, fill it out, and submit it along with the required documents via email to the person in charge.

Kim Seon-soon, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Women and Family Policy Office, said, “In the reality where stalking crimes continue to occur, we hope that Seoul’s safety equipment support project will help alleviate the anxiety of stalking victims and single-person households in their daily living spaces,” adding, “Seoul will continue to develop various safety policies that can expand safe living environments.”