Measures needed to help officers respond to crimes effectively
Police officers' bungled responses to serious crimes have resulted in some innocent citizens being killed or seriously injured. As a result of these tragedies, doubts are arising over the ability of the police to maintain law and order.
A woman in her 30s, who had been under police protection against a stalker, was murdered at an apartment in central Seoul, Friday, although she made SOS calls twice via a smartwatch she received from the police. The woman made her first call at 11:29 a.m., but officers were sent to the wrong address owing to a location-tracking error in the smartwatch. At 11:33 a.m., the woman made a second call, and police arrived at her home eight minutes later. But it was too late as she had already been killed.
In Incheon, west of Seoul, two police officers are facing an internal investigation for leaving a crime scene where two women were brutally attacked. The incident occurred on Nov. 15, when a male and female officer were sent to a four-story apartment building in eastern Incheon after receiving a noise complaint about a man on the top floor from a male resident on the third floor. While the male officer was talking to the complainant on the first floor, the female officer was on the third floor with his wife and daughter. Then, the fourth-floor resident came downstairs brandishing a knife and attacked them. After the wife was stabbed in the neck, the female officer ran to the first floor to "ask for help," leaving the wife and daughter alone. The wife underwent surgery, but has yet to regain consciousness.
The two cases are a testament to the incompetence of our police officers in protecting the lives and safety of the people. On Monday, the National Police Agency held a video conference to discuss measures to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents. It is still not too late to hammer out measures that can help officers respond to crimes effectively.
Police officers' bungled responses to serious crimes have resulted in some innocent citizens being killed or seriously injured. As a result of these tragedies, doubts are arising over the ability of the police to maintain law and order.
A woman in her 30s, who had been under police protection against a stalker, was murdered at an apartment in central Seoul, Friday, although she made SOS calls twice via a smartwatch she received from the police. The woman made her first call at 11:29 a.m., but officers were sent to the wrong address owing to a location-tracking error in the smartwatch. At 11:33 a.m., the woman made a second call, and police arrived at her home eight minutes later. But it was too late as she had already been killed.
In Incheon, west of Seoul, two police officers are facing an internal investigation for leaving a crime scene where two women were brutally attacked. The incident occurred on Nov. 15, when a male and female officer were sent to a four-story apartment building in eastern Incheon after receiving a noise complaint about a man on the top floor from a male resident on the third floor. While the male officer was talking to the complainant on the first floor, the female officer was on the third floor with his wife and daughter. Then, the fourth-floor resident came downstairs brandishing a knife and attacked them. After the wife was stabbed in the neck, the female officer ran to the first floor to "ask for help," leaving the wife and daughter alone. The wife underwent surgery, but has yet to regain consciousness.
The two cases are a testament to the incompetence of our police officers in protecting the lives and safety of the people. On Monday, the National Police Agency held a video conference to discuss measures to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents. It is still not too late to hammer out measures that can help officers respond to crimes effectively.
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