Global Safe City Development and Regional Security for 2030 World Expo Bid
Enhancing Autonomous Police Capabilities Including On-Site Response and Working Environment Improvements
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Busan City has designated 2023, the third year since the launch of the autonomous police, as the "Year of Establishing the Busan-type Autonomous Police and Advancing as a Global Safe City." The city announced that it will promote resident-centered policies that allow Busan citizens to live safely and securely, while also supplementing and proposing institutional improvements for the complete establishment of the autonomous police system.
The Busan Autonomous Police Committee, although launched in 2021?the inaugural year of the autonomous police?amid initial shortcomings in laws and organizational systems, made every effort to establish the foundation and conditions for discovering policies and institutional establishment linking local administration and police administration to realize the purpose of introduction. As a result, it operated the first-ever secretariat composed of three institutions nationwide?city government, police agency, and education office?and secured the highest project budget among all committees nationwide.
In 2022, despite structural issues where existing police performed both autonomous police duties and national police duties, and a lack of understanding of autonomous police affairs, which left some regret for not delivering noticeable changes to citizens, efforts were made to respond to citizens' security demands based on expanded budgets for Busan-type security policies and cooperation among related organizations such as Busan City, Busan Police Agency, and Busan Education Office. This led to remarkable achievements such as the nationwide first introduction of a security living lab, establishment of a 24-hour seamless child abuse response system, and pilot operation of a 15-minute city smart signal system.
Building on these achievements, the committee plans to enhance the status of Busan as a "global safe city" in preparation for the 2030 World Expo bid in 2023, actively discover and implement resident-centered security policies, and simultaneously prepare various measures including proposals for institutional improvements for the full implementation of the autonomous police system.
First, in 2023, the committee plans to build a more tightly knit citizen safety network by promoting resident-centered and daily life-oriented security projects.
Projects with high resident participation and response, such as the ▲security living lab and ▲companion dog patrol squad, will be expanded, and ▲safety mirrors and women's restroom safety screens will be installed in urban railways to prevent sexual crimes, thereby strengthening crime psychology deterrence and infrastructure development.
To build a global safe city for the 2030 Busan World Expo bid, the plan includes ▲establishing a smart signal operation system for the "15-minute city," ▲installing unmanned traffic enforcement equipment in high-risk traffic accident areas, and ▲introducing and operating unmanned traffic enforcement equipment (including for two-wheelers) to enhance traffic accident prevention and citizen safety.
To ensure the early establishment of the autonomous police system and provide security services that approach citizens, the committee plans to actively support autonomous police officers responsible for autonomous police affairs by ▲expanding patrol car equipment storage, ▲increasing welfare points support, and ▲providing health checkup expenses, thereby strengthening on-site response capabilities and fostering pride and a sense of belonging as autonomous police officers.
Following the current government's national agenda of "strengthening autonomous police authority" and the promotion of dualization of autonomous police, the Busan Autonomous Police Committee also plans to actively work toward institutional establishment through dualization.
To this end, the committee will continuously propose to the central government for the transfer of autonomous police units (Community Safety Division) in district police stations and police boxes, establishment of a promotion review committee within the autonomous police committee, creation of a special autonomous police account, introduction of autonomous police grants, local transfer of fines and penalties, securing practical personnel authority, stable funding, and enactment and revision of laws related to the autonomous police system.
Jung Yong-hwan, Chairman of the Busan Autonomous Police Committee, said, "Until now, we have worked hard to establish the autonomous police system and raise citizen awareness, but 2023 will be the year to lay a solid institutional foundation for the launch of the second phase of the autonomous police system." He added, "We will continue to cooperate with related organizations, activate resident participation in security activities, discover and expand resident-tailored and daily life-oriented security policies, and do our best to create a safe Busan where citizens want to live again even if reborn."
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