[MZ Police Officer] "I Want to Be a Police Officer Easily Forgotten"... The Wish of a Child Abuse Prevention Police Officer

Every Family Has Its Own Circumstances
"If You Want to Go Fast, Go Alone; If You Want to Go Far, Go Together"

Editor's NoteGeneration Z is coming. It is an era where newcomers in their 20s and 30s decide the future of organizational culture. The police are no exception. The police have various departments such as criminal investigation, investigation, security, intelligence, traffic, administration, public relations, audit, and women & youth. The working environments differ across city and provincial police offices, police stations, riot police units, and district police stations or patrol offices, and the tasks vary greatly by region. From the perspective of the youngest police officers, they introduce their departments and share vivid stories about their thoughts on work and life.

"I want to be a police officer who is easily forgotten. I hope to be a passing path for youths going through difficulties."

At the Women Protection Division office of Nowon Police Station in Nowon-gu, Seoul, Sergeant Lim Chaehyun (32) calmly stated her goal. She hopes that the youths she meets in the field can quickly overcome their momentary difficulties and return to their daily lives.

Great Reward in Seeing Positive Changes

Sergeant Lim, who works as an APO (Anti-abuse Police Officer), recalled a reclusive child she met last year, saying, "The child locked the door, covered themselves with a blanket, and did nothing. I pulled the blanket away to get them up and persuaded them with difficulty," adding, "After receiving hospital treatment and staying at a facility, the child noticeably brightened. Seeing the positive change made me feel a great attraction to this work."

The APO belongs to the Women & Youth Division. Their day begins by reviewing 112 emergency calls received the previous day related to domestic violence, child abuse, and elder abuse cases, and contacting the reporters or related parties. Nowon Police Station, surrounded by apartment complexes and located in a residential area, frequently receives domestic violence reports. As of last year, among the 31 police stations under the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Nowon Police Station ranked 4th in domestic violence reports and 1st in child abuse reports. The APO collaborates with institutions necessary for improving family relationships and victim recovery to help victims restore their daily lives. They also work to correct perpetrators' behavior to prevent recurrence of domestic violence.

Sergeant Lim mainly encounters child abuse victims related to juvenile delinquency, discipline, and marital disputes. Her interest in juvenile delinquency since university was the reason she applied for the APO special recruitment. She said, "Although I was an engineering student, I was very interested in people's behavior, so I double-majored in psychology and completed a master's degree in criminal psychology, researching the correlation between juvenile delinquent behavior and parenting environments," adding, "Since then, I have been interested in reducing child abuse, counseling youths, and thinking about abuse prevention."

Every Family Has Its Own Circumstances

Dealing with domestic violence can be challenging when there is no set answer. Sergeant Lim shared, "Family cannot be defined in one word, and every family has different circumstances," adding, "It is difficult when I don't know which part?divorce, counseling, treatment?is needed for a particular family." At such times, she tries not to hold prejudices. She said, "Because violence within families is complex, I try not to have prejudices. In reality, perpetrators and victims are not clearly distinguished. Instead of automatically judging the reporter as the victim or the weaker party, I try to find out what actually happened."

She sometimes receives verbal abuse from child abuse perpetrators. Those who cannot contact the abused children sometimes curse on the phone or threaten legal action. Each time, her determination to help youths grows stronger. Sergeant Lim explained, "There was a subject who was lethargic due to severe conflicts with their parents. I thought it would be good to try employment opportunities or social systems," adding, "I visited the home with a Nowon District Office staff member and guided them to job-related websites."

Sergeant Lim maintains regular contact with victims even after case closure to prevent recurrence. She explained, "There may be parts that domestic violence victims could not tell the responding officers during the report," adding, "To prevent the same incident from recurring, I always try to look into details carefully." She continued, "There are mandatory documents and notification procedures required to receive institutional help," adding, "Especially for child abuse, a checklist must be confirmed and reported to the Child Protection Agency within 48 hours. It is easy to miss if not careful."

"If You Want to Go Fast, Go Alone; If You Want to Go Far, Go Together"

Handling domestic violence cases is complex, but Sergeant Lim is not alone. The Nowon Police Station APO team consists of seven members who support each other. She emphasized, "When a child abuse perpetrator asks, 'Have you ever given birth? Have you ever been married?' a senior officer sometimes takes the call instead," adding, "If there is a difficult subject to handle, I usually get help from team members."

Moreover, through regular meetings with team colleagues, they share characteristics of reported subjects by jurisdiction and discuss follow-up management plans. Sergeant Lim explained, "When a couple with alcohol addiction argues, we provide information about alcohol treatment hospitals," adding, "We also share information about hospitals where minors can receive inpatient treatment."

Despite the tough and eventful daily routine, Sergeant Lim's focus remains on the Women & Youth Division. She concluded the interview by saying, "Since studying youth counseling in college, I have wanted to meet youths in the field," adding, "Adolescence is a sensitive but still an opportunity-filled period, and I want to be a police officer who helps youths not to miss that opportunity."