Seodaemun Police Station, 47% Decrease in 112 Calls After Installing Police Officer Cutouts in Unmanned Stores

Life-size Cutouts Installed at 23 Unmanned Stores in the District from September to October Last Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Taewon] The Seodaemun Police Station in Seoul installed life-sized police officer mannequins at unmanned stores in its jurisdiction, resulting in nearly a 50% decrease in 112 emergency calls.

Kim Jin-woong, chief of Hong Eun 2 Police Substation, is explaining about the life-size police officer standees installed in unmanned stores in the jurisdiction.
Photo by Choi Tae-won skking@

The Seodaemun Police Station announced on the 20th that from September to October last year, they installed mannequins at 23 out of 47 unmanned stores (ice cream shops and convenience stores) in the area, leading to a 47% reduction in 112 emergency calls compared to before.

After the mannequins were installed (November to December), there were a total of 8 emergency calls, a 47% decrease from the 15 calls recorded before installation (July to August). Among these, theft reports dropped from 8 to 4 cases, a 50% decrease, and other reports decreased from 7 to 4 cases, a 43% reduction. During this period, no serious crimes such as robbery or special theft occurred.

The cost to install each mannequin was 120,000 KRW, with a total production cost of 2.76 million KRW. The mannequins were made to the actual size of police officers, measuring 180 cm in height and 60 cm in width. The police explained that photos of actual officers from the local police stations and substations responsible for the unmanned stores were used in making the mannequins to enhance their effectiveness.

Additionally, due to the nature of unmanned stores, there are many minor theft crimes committed by lower-grade elementary school students (grades 1-2), so the police expect the mannequins to have a preventive effect on nurturing potential offenders. It is known that 90% of thefts occurring in unmanned stores within the Seodaemun Police Station’s jurisdiction involve small amounts under 100,000 KRW.

Sergeant Lee Jiseong of Hong Eun 2 Substation, who planned the installation of the mannequins at unmanned stores, said, “Minors often lack the concept that ‘theft is a crime’ and tend to steal items. We expect this to help prevent a vicious cycle where children start with minor crimes and later escalate to more serious offenses.”

The Seodaemun Police Station stated that it plans to expand the installation of mannequins in unmanned stores in collaboration with the Seodaemun District Office in the future.