Police to Reassign Over 2,600 Personnel to Strengthen Frontline Security
Efforts to Enhance Security Deployments Amidst Manpower Shortages
In a bid to bolster their frontline security operations amidst manpower shortages, the police have announced plans to reassign approximately 2,600 personnel from headquarters, local police agencies, and regional offices to the national mobile patrol unit. The decision comes as the head office grapples with an excessive number of personnel, while the sites responsible for ensuring frontline security face staffing challenges.
The mobile patrol unit, described as a type of ‘detached patrol unit,’ is extensively employed in high-security areas. Currently comprised of around 100 members, the mobile patrol unit was originally established in 2014 with the aim of efficiently deploying personnel to crime-prone regions across the country. However, the unit’s functionality fell short of expectations. To address this, the police are now expanding the unit and intend to allocate the 2,600 reassigned employees to 28 mobile patrol units under local police agencies nationwide, where they will serve as patrol personnel.
Police Commissioner Yoon emphasized the streamlining of operations, stating, “We have reduced management manpower by merging and disbanding departments across approximately 340 police stations nationwide that had overlapping duties.”
New ‘Criminal Task Forces’ to Be Established for Enhanced Crime Prevention Efforts
In addition to reassigning personnel, the police have decided to establish dedicated ‘criminal task forces’ in each local area. These task forces will comprise approximately 1,000 members from local police agencies (excluding Sejong and Jeju) and the headquarters strong arms team. Focused on targeted regions such as areas surrounding entertainment establishments, their primary objective will be to counter organized and group crimes. The shift in approach aims to transform the response system to violent crime from mere apprehension to proactive prevention.
Furthermore, the National Police Agency has created a dedicated ‘Crime Prevention and Response Bureau’ tasked with overseeing crime prevention efforts, response to emergency calls, and coordination with local police and district stations. In line with this, crime prevention and response departments will be established in 18 local police agencies and 259 police stations across the country. The planned reorganization is scheduled for implementation early next year, following a cabinet meeting slated for next month.
Police Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun. /News 1
The police announced on the 18th that they would reassign about 2,600 people from headquarters, all local police agencies, and headquarters to the national mobile patrol unit. This is because most of the personnel working in the head office are above their capacity, but the sites responsible for frontline security are experiencing manpower shortages. The mobile patrol unit is a type of ‘detached patrol unit’ which is used intensively in places where security requirements are high.
The police said they would expand the ‘Mobile Patrol Unit’, which currently has around 100 members. The mobile patrol unit was introduced in 2014 with the intention of using manpower efficiently to crime-prone areas across the country that needed patrolling, but was not being implemented properly. The police plan to distribute around 2,600 employees from headquarters to 28 mobile patrol units under local police agencies across the country and deploy them as patrol personnel. Commissioner Yoon said, “We reduced management manpower by merging and disbanding departments from approximately 340 police stations across the country with overlapping duties.”
The police also decided to establish a new ‘criminal task force’ in each local area. About 1,000 members from local police agencies (excluding Sejong and Jeju) and the headquarters strong arms team will be sent to the criminal task force. We will focus our efforts on crime prone areas, such as around entertainment establishments, to prevent organized and group crime. The purpose is to change the response system to violent crime, which focused on arrest, to prevention. The National Police Agency also established a ‘Crime Prevention and Response Bureau’, which oversees crime prevention, response to 112 reports, and police and district police stations. Crime prevention and response departments will also be established in 18 local police agencies and 259 police stations. This reorganization is due to be implemented early next year after a cabinet meeting next month.
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