Dongguk University 'Campus Police', Yonsei University 'Eagle Guard' and 5 Universities Select 169 Members
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Autonomous Police Committee announced on the 9th that it selected the '1st Seoul Metropolitan Autonomous Police Committee University Student Patrol Team' to eliminate blind spots in campus security and create safe universities free from crime, and held the inauguration ceremony on the 7th at the Seoul Citizens Hall.
The inauguration ceremony was held to enhance the sense of belonging and mission as university student patrol members, and to support safer and more effective patrol activities through crime prevention safety education and patrol equipment support before the full-scale activities begin.
The universities selected for the 1st university student patrol team are Dongguk University (Campus Police), Baekseok Arts University (Raon Patrol Team), Yonsei University (Eagle Guard), Chung-Ang University (Ui-hyeol Keeper Patrol Team), and Hanyang Women's University (Gaenari Patrol Team), with a total of 169 members from five universities expected to participate.
Previously, from September 13 to 22, the Autonomous Police Committee publicly recruited university student patrol teams targeting universities and colleges located in Seoul for 10 days. Since the social distancing measures were lifted in April, face-to-face classes have resumed, and sexual crimes on university campuses have increased, including illegal filming in female restrooms of medical schools, reports of sexual harassment and illegal filming during festival periods.
The university student patrol team is scheduled to operate during the semester from this month until January next year, mainly patrolling the campus regularly during nighttime hours, with duties including △regulating and guiding on-campus drinking and sleeping △checking for illegal cameras △raising awareness for crime prevention and conducting violence prevention campaigns.
If necessary, the patrol team will conduct joint patrols with the police stations (district police stations, police boxes) located at the respective universities and share information on crime-vulnerable locations inside and outside the campus with the police. They may also discuss the installation of surveillance cameras (CCTV) and emergency bells along with the police’s crime prevention diagnosis.
The Autonomous Police Committee supports patrol activities by providing patrol equipment such as crime prevention vests that are easy to identify even at night, luminous batons, and electronic whistles to ensure safe and smooth patrol activities for students during nighttime. Additionally, they plan to support patrol activities through injury insurance enrollment, recognition of volunteer activity records, and year-end commendations from the committee chair for outstanding members.
Kim Hak-bae, Chairperson of the Autonomous Police Committee, said, “We look forward to the active role of the 1st university student patrol team, which will raise awareness of crime and create a safe university life through students’ voluntary patrol activities,” and added, “We will spare no effort and actively support the patrol team.”
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