[Reporter’s Notebook] Protect the Value of the Police Uniform

Last summer, a young man became a star in the sky. He was a detective in his 30s working at the Gwanak Police Station. Messages he sent to his colleagues during his lifetime were revealed. "There are 73 cases, and they keep piling up," "At this rate, really," "I can't see a way out".... On the day commemorating his passing, his colleagues said he was the most diligent police officer. They blamed themselves for not being able to lighten the "weight of the uniform" that he struggled so hard to bear and for not supporting him together.

After the "incident," the National Police Agency came up with countermeasures. The police leadership took charge as team leaders to diagnose working conditions and said they would merge similar cases from the reception stage before case assignment to investigate them. Measures such as improving work efficiency and reallocating personnel were proposed. They also said they would take care of the mental health of police officers. Inside the police, there were even remarks like, "If this level of measures comes out from a government organization, isn't that excellent?"

However, the voices from the front lines were different. "Improvement plan? I didn't even know such a thing existed." (Sergeant A) "Nothing has changed." (Sergeant B) "I feel like they will make us do something irrelevant again." (Sergeant C)... If this is just to show someone, then it is not a "countermeasure."

A detective’s day is a continuous stream of stress. They have to listen to the stories of victims and perpetrators, and report writing goes on endlessly. The pain of the cases often becomes the pain of the police officers themselves. Enduring such hardship likely comes from the officers’ own determination and sense of duty to bear the weight of the uniform. When that weight becomes unbearable and turns into suffering, tragic events occur. In the past five years, there have been as many as 115 tragedies involving police officers. The police leadership talks about "countermeasures" each time, but the tragedies have not decreased.

Society’s indifference cannot be said to be free of responsibility for this phenomenon. From the public’s perspective, the police are both close and distant. The police are demanded infinite responsibility by the public, and because the public expects a lot from the police, police officers sometimes face excessive criticism and blame for their mistakes. Amidst relentless work, overwhelming cases, and repeated unresolved stress and hardships, there are police officers who break down. There must be something to hold their hands.

The police uniform is a symbol containing a promise to protect the lives and safety of the people. To uphold the value of the uniform, those who bear its weight must be respected. I hope that both the police leadership and members of society will work hard so that police officers wearing the uniform can feel pride and faithfully fulfill their role in protecting the lives and well-being of the people.