"Administration and Police Moved Together"
A New Standard for Public Safety Administration
Quarterly Collaboration Between Administration and Police
"Meetings Turned Into Policy"
Suncheon City was selected as the best institution in the evaluation of the autonomous police affairs cooperation system. Photo by Suncheon City
Since the implementation of the autonomous police system, collaboration between administration and public safety has emerged as a top priority nationwide. In this context, Suncheon City was selected as the “Best Institution” in the 2025 evaluation for establishing an autonomous police affairs cooperation system among cities and counties, and on December 18, received an institutional commendation from the Governor of Jeollanam-do.
This evaluation was awarded based on a comprehensive assessment of the achievements in linking and collaborating between local administration and police administration, participation in autonomous police affairs, and the discovery and dissemination of outstanding initiatives, all in line with the original intent of introducing the autonomous police system.
Suncheon City's greatest strength lies in its “regular consultative structure.” The city operates an autonomous police working council on a quarterly basis, having held three meetings this year alone. During these meetings, a total of 38 issues were discussed, with 36 of them actually being reflected in policies and projects-a 94% acceptance rate.
Among the adopted proposals, projects directly related to citizens' safety were implemented, including crime scene environmental improvements to respond to crimes with abnormal motives, intersection enhancements near Seonpyeong Village Hall, installation of pedestrian red signal countdown displays, and safety measures for vacant and abandoned houses, all funded by a budget of approximately 400 million won.
Additionally, the city participated in a public contest by the Autonomous Police Committee and was selected for a crime prevention infrastructure project to respond to crimes with abnormal motives. Through the installation of 13 CCTVs, 5 emergency bells, and the establishment of an intelligent monitoring system, Suncheon contributed to eliminating blind spots in crime prevention.
The pilot project conducted in the Bonghwa-ro area in cooperation with Suncheon Police Station is considered a representative example of the Suncheon-style autonomous police collaboration. By combining statistical analysis with citizen feedback in areas with frequent basic order violations, the city improved pedestrian environments and addressed vulnerable spots for illegal dumping.
As a result, reports related to order maintenance decreased by 6.2% compared to the previous year, and in sections that had recurring complaints of flooding, there was not a single flooding report. This case was recognized for its effectiveness and led to an expansion of the initiative with funding from Jeollanam-do.
Alongside these efforts, Suncheon City has continued to raise awareness of the autonomous police and strengthen public safety partnerships through joint night patrols before and after holidays, joint campaigns involving citizens, government, and police, and regular meetings to prevent domestic violence, child abuse, and elder abuse. There have been over 30 related media reports.
A Suncheon City official stated, “This commendation is the result of administration and police not remaining within their own roles, but moving together with a focus on the field,” adding, “We will continue to strengthen the cooperation system among the province, city, and police to further expand public safety administration that citizens can truly feel.”
While there are still opinions that the autonomous police system remains only a framework, Suncheon's case has established itself as a model demonstrating that collaboration can indeed lead to tangible results.
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