On-Site Inspection of 15 Sections Including Bangi, Samjeon, and Macheon-dong for Songpa Residents' Safety on Their Way Home
Securing Visibility Through Road Marking Maintenance and Installation of Guide Signs... Establishing Crime Prevention Infrastructure
Songpa-gu (District Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced that it has established a crime prevention infrastructure by conducting on-site inspections and reorganizing the entire section of the ‘Women’s Safe Return Path’ operated for the safe return of residents on dark night streets.
The ‘Women’s Safe Return Path’ is a security system managed by the police station and local government in cooperation to oversee crime-prone areas for the safety of local residents returning home late at night. Routes are designated and operated considering factors such as floating population, crime occurrence rate, and 112 emergency call rate, focusing on alleys with few people and remote areas within the district.
Previously, the district conducted on-site inspections targeting a total of 15 safe return path sections within the area. From November 14 to November 21, over the course of a week, all facilities of the safe return paths were inspected, focusing on areas with a high concentration of multi-family housing and a high proportion of single-person households, through the Safe Monitoring Team composed of residents.
As a result of the on-site inspection, the district selected 52 locations across 14 sections where road signs were worn out or signboards were aged.
First, the district repainted road markings with poor visibility and replaced outdated 112 emergency call location signboards.
Additionally, in response to opinions that remaining signboards in areas where the safe return path was lifted due to a decrease in crime and reports cause confusion among residents, all facilities in the relevant sections were removed and maintenance was completed.
Furthermore, the district secured visibility by installing road surface signs, signboards, solar markers, and gobos lighting on the Women’s Safe Return Path. The police station also designated the safe return path as a special patrol area and strengthened patrols to build a crime prevention infrastructure and create a safe environment free from crime.
Going forward, the district plans to regularly inspect the safe return paths and facilities within the area, and promote various projects to protect residents’ safety in daily life, such as applying Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) when creating residential and pedestrian environments.
Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, stated, “Through the operation of the Women’s Safe Return Path, we will expand patrols in crime-prone areas and take responsibility for residents’ safe night streets through continuous facility improvements,” adding, “We will continue to discover and expand policies that protect residents’ safety as well as practical crime prevention.”
The district also operates the ‘Safe Return Scout,’ which accompanies residents on their late-night return paths. Any resident in need of support on their way home can apply through the Seoul Safe App from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays (10 p.m. to midnight on Mondays).
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
