Field Police on Maintaining Mobile Patrol Units: "Failed Policy"

[Financial News] Complaints from field police are growing regarding the mobile patrol units launched last year to prevent crimes such as knife rampages. Police officers from mobile units and police stations are suffering from heavy workloads due to manpower shortages, making it difficult to respond to 112 calls, leading to security gaps, according to local police officers.
The National Police Workplace Council held a press conference in front of the National Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on the 29th, emphasizing that "field police are suffering after the launch of the mobile patrol units. It's a failed organizational reform."
They argue that as personnel have been drawn to the mobile patrol units, local police at district and police stations have become insufficient. The mobile patrol units were launched in 2023 to prevent a series of heinous crimes such as knife rampages in Sinrim-dong and Seohyeon-dong. Since February last year, 2,668 members have been active across 28 battalions nationwide.
Min Gwan-gi, chairman of the council, criticized, "After the launch of the mobile patrol units, district and police station personnel have become 10~15% more insufficient compared to the current staff," adding, "They filled the mobile patrol units by taking away already scarce local police due to honorary retirements." According to data received by Assemblyman Lee Sang-sik of the Democratic Party from the National Police Agency, the personnel shortage rate at district and police stations was 49% as of July last year.
The National Police Agency explained that administrative management personnel, not field police, were assigned at the time of the mobile patrol units' launch. However, as the vacancies in police stations and provincial offices were filled by district and police stations, the shortage of local police personnel has been exacerbated. This personnel movement was carried out during two regular personnel transfers in July last year and February this year, according to the council.
On the other hand, the National Police Agency maintains that the mobile patrol units contribute to crime prevention. According to the agency, the number of 112 calls nationwide decreased by 12.4% compared to the year before the launch of the mobile patrol units. The decrease in 112 call days was particularly high in 19 police stations where mobile patrol units were deployed for more than 300 days, according to the agency.
Yu Jae-seong, acting commissioner of the National Police Agency, said at a press conference on the 21st, "The mobile patrol units are settling as a preventive organization that alleviates factors of anxiety in daily life and supplements local police," adding, "We will focus on internal stability by reorganizing the organization according to the security conditions of each region."

unsaid@fnnews.com Kang Myung-yeon Reporter