Gyeongnam Autonomous Police Committee Deploys Private Security Guards for Stalking Victims

Implemented Nationwide for the First Time Starting June 29

The Gyeongnam Autonomous Police Committee announced on the 22nd that it will deploy 'private personal bodyguards' for the first time nationwide to protect victims of high-risk crimes such as stalking.

The Autonomous Police Committee will implement a personal protection project for high-risk crime victims starting from the 29th, ahead of the enforcement of the Act on the Prevention of Stalking and Protection of Victims.

As crimes such as stalking have increased recently, and the number of reported cases in the province surged from 684 in 2021, when the Stalking Punishment Act was enforced, to 1,424 in 2022, the project is being promoted with provincial government funding to help victims maintain a safe daily life.

The protection targets are victims at significant risk of obsessive retaliatory crimes such as stalking, dating violence, and domestic violence, as determined by the Crime Victim Safety Measures Review Committee at each police station.

Gyeongnam Provincial Government Office.
Photo by Lee Seryeong

Victims will be protected by two private personal bodyguards for 10 hours a day over three days during their preferred time slots, and if serious risks persist, the protection hours and duration can be extended.

The private personal bodyguards provide proactive protection until police officers arrive on the scene by preventing attacks through close accompaniment during commuting or attending investigative agencies, waiting around the building in indoor cases, and securing evidence such as video recording and audio recording during illegal acts.

This year, the project will be piloted mainly at first-class police stations in the province, and based on the project's outcomes and necessity, it will be expanded to all police stations in the future.

Chairman Kim Hyuntae said, "The most necessary autonomous police activity to protect socially vulnerable groups is the protection and support of victims of stalking and similar crimes, according to public opinion from the residents," adding, "We will strive to establish the private personal protection project, which is being implemented for the first time nationwide by the Autonomous Police Committee, as an effective model case."