Deployment of Security Guards at District Office and Dong Community Centers, Joint Police Drill Completed to Strengthen Response
Improving Civil Service Quality with Step-by-Step Response Strategy from Prevention to Aftercare
Nowon-gu, Seoul (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it has established measures to create a safe civil service environment against malicious complainants and has begun on-site operations.
As verbal abuse, assault, repeated complaints, and "targeting of staff" by malicious complainants have emerged as social issues, preventing and promptly responding to malicious complaints is important not only for the responsible public officials but also for improving the quality of civil service.
To respond to malicious complaints, the district established a step-by-step response strategy including ▲ deploying security guards at the district office and community service centers to prevent malicious complaints in advance ▲ conducting mock drills for immediate situation resolution ▲ legal action against malicious complaints and post-measures such as protecting affected staff.
First, security guards were deployed in the civil service rooms of community centers and the district office. Since the first security guard was assigned to Hagye 1-dong in July 2022, deployment has expanded to a total of 11 community centers. After the deployment of security guards, both staff and complainants expressed high satisfaction with the safe environment.
In particular, this year, in addition to professional security companies, seniors aged 60 to 65 were hired as security guards through a senior employment program. This was to fulfill the original purpose of protecting the facilities, staff, and general visiting complainants at the community centers while providing jobs for seniors.
Subsequently, since July, security guards have also been deployed at the district office and health center. A total of seven guards work, including five at the main building of the district office, and one each at the annex and health center. Wearing uniforms and equipped with self-defense tools, they work in designated areas, providing simple guidance to visiting complainants and immediately responding to any sudden or illegal acts by malicious complainants to protect general complainants and staff.
The district office and each community center also conducted 'Emergency Response Drills for Malicious Complaints' together with the police. Starting with the Civil Affairs and Passport Division on the 15th and continuing until the 26th, police officers from Nowon Police Station and local precincts participated to enhance effectiveness.
The mock drill in the Civil Affairs and Passport Division simulated a situation where a divorce application could not be accepted due to incomplete documents, and the complainant assaulted the responsible staff. The situation response team, including the head of the division, intervened to calm the complainant, separated the victimized official on-site, and tested the use and procedures of emergency bells and protective equipment. They also verified the proper operation of the police reporting system and proceeded with handing over the complainant to the responding police officers exactly as in a real situation. Each community center completed their own mock drills according to their training plans.
Finally, the district plans to have managers immediately intervene on-site in case of illegal or sudden acts by malicious complainants and to strengthen the post-response system to support affected officials. A task force including the Audit Officer, Planning and Budget Division (Legal Team), and Administrative Support Division (Personnel Team) will be formed to take legal action at the institutional level if necessary and provide recovery time and psychological counseling programs to affected officials. Depending on individual cases, measures such as medical expense support and personnel transfers will also be implemented.
Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, stated, “Our district is creating a district office environment where residents and staff coexist, such as opening the lobby as a cultural space for performances, exhibitions, and leisure,” and added, “We will firmly respond to violent acts by some malicious complainants to protect the majority of visiting complainants and staff who do their best in their duties.”
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