Seongbuk-gu, All-Out Effort to Respond to Random Crimes

Direct agencies for prevention of other crimes and fires, district office, and professional organizations establish a full cooperation system... Emergency meeting of civil-government-police security officials held on the 22nd

Seongbuk District Mayor, Seongbuk and Jongam Police Chiefs, Seongbuk Fire Chief, Head of Autonomous Disaster Prevention Group, and Village Safety Council Chairman participate... Rapid reporting system through sharing resident contact networks upon discovery of community crime warning posts

Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) is making every effort to protect the safety of residents and alleviate anxiety regarding the socially controversial “random attacks” crimes.

The district is first strengthening the cooperation system among direct agencies, the district office, and professional organizations for the prevention of other crimes and fires. An emergency meeting of civil-government-police security officials was held on the 22nd at the Seongbuk District Mayor’s office, attended by Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu; Ryu Chang-seon, Chief of Seongbuk Police Station; Lee Du-an, Intelligence Division Chief of Jongam Police Station; Park Yong-ho, Chief of Seongbuk Fire Station; Im Yoon-sik, Deputy Head of the Autonomous Disaster Prevention Group; Park Sang-il, Chairman of Seongbuk-gu Village Safety Council; and Oh Joong-gyun, Chairman of Seongbuk District Council.

Mayor Lee Seung-ro of Seongbuk-gu stated, “Residents I have met on site express concerns and anxiety that anyone can become a victim of crime anytime and anywhere, as recent news is flooded with reports of random attacks,” adding, “We must strengthen the activities of the Seongbuk-gu Security Council, which is jointly formed by civil-government-police, to alleviate residents’ anxiety and ensure a safe life.”

The civil-government-police security officials attending the meeting agreed on ▲ discovering crime prevention activities involving resident participation through organic cooperation between security agencies and professional organizations ▲ selecting vulnerable areas and expanding crime prevention infrastructure such as CCTV with the cooperation of police and fire departments ▲ activating a rapid reporting system by sharing resident contact networks upon discovery of community crime warning posts.

Furthermore, they agreed to hold a working-level council and security council chaired by the Deputy Mayor of Seongbuk-gu as soon as possible to verify the practical results of the tightly structured security network, actively collect opinions from related security agencies, and enhance activities such as selecting vulnerable areas, expanding crime prevention infrastructure like CCTV, and discovering crime prevention activities involving residents.

Established in 2019, the Seongbuk-gu Security Council includes seven institutions: Seongbuk District Office, Seongbuk District Council, Seongbuk and Jongam Police Stations, Seongbuk-Gangbuk Education Support Office, Seongbuk Tax Office, and Seongbuk Fire Station. Thirteen organizations recommended by each institution are active, including ▲ Seongbuk-gu (Autonomous Disaster Prevention Group, Village Safety Council, Safety Guards) ▲ Seongbuk Police Station (Police Development Committee, Youth Development Association, Assembly and Demonstration Advisory Committee, Autonomous Crime Prevention Union, Security Cooperation Committee) ▲ Jongam Police Station (Police Development Committee, Youth Development Association, Autonomous Crime Prevention Union, Security Cooperation Committee) ▲ Seongbuk Fire Station (Seongbuk Volunteer Fire Brigade).

Mayor Lee Seung-ro emphasized, “If organizations that regularly engage in various activities for the community help fill the gaps in security, the daily lives of Seongbuk residents will be safer, so I ask all organizations for their help and cooperation.”

Separately, the district is accelerating the establishment of the “Seongbuk-type Safety Model.” A representative example is the full-scale operation of the “CCTV Safety Network Integrated Platform Linkage Project,” which can integrate and operate about 4,000 district CCTV cameras and about 66,000 Seoul city CCTV cameras.

Previously, when police or fire departments needed CCTV footage, they had to request it separately from the district office or have police dispatched to the Seongbuk-gu CCTV Integrated Control Center watch the footage and explain the situation to the police. However, now, police and fire department control rooms, patrol cars, and fire trucks can quickly respond by watching real-time CCTV footage provided by Seongbuk-gu.

Additionally, through the “Smart Seoul CCTV Safety Network Integrated Platform Linkage Operation Project,” 4,251 CCTV cameras and 1,314 emergency bells have been installed in high-crime areas and major walking trails within the district. Through the “Equipment Replacement and New Installation Project for Crime Prevention in High-Crime Areas,” 113 emergency bells and LED guide signs have been replaced at 37 key locations in the district.

Moreover, 214 new security CCTV cameras have been installed at 65 vulnerable locations such as university dormitory areas, patrol management has been strengthened for vacant houses in university and redevelopment areas, and installations based on CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) such as women’s safe return paths and floor lighting are being expanded.

A Seongbuk-gu official stated, “We are doing our best to ensure the safe daily lives of Seongbuk residents by building a social safety net through governance involving about 20 local organizations and civil-government-police cooperation, strengthening the identification of socially and mentally vulnerable groups through the Mental Health Welfare Center and community service centers, rapid dissemination of accident scenes via disaster text messages, and new installation and performance improvement of security CCTV.”

The district is also making every effort to actively explain to Seoul city the need for budgets for safety facilities and for managing vacant houses in university and redevelopment areas and to secure the necessary budgets.

Mayor Lee Seung-ro of Seongbuk-gu said, “Recently, three random attack crimes have occurred within a month, and even if they do not lead to murder, incidents such as wielding weapons against citizens or being caught wandering with weapons have occurred, causing great public concern about security,” adding, “Seongbuk-gu’s civil-government-police are pooling their capabilities to address the rapidly increasing local security demands and focusing all administrative power on alleviating residents’ anxiety and ensuring a safe life by strengthening the activities of the existing Seongbuk-gu Security Council.”