Foreigners join police patrols to fight crime

Seo-gu Bisan 7-dong voluntary crime prevention group members, Youn Seong-gu, left, Gul Na Deem, right, are passing by a tea room located in Bukbu Bus Terminal / Courtesy of Seo-gu Bisan 7-dong voluntary crime prevention group

By Kang Aa-young

Daegu Seobu Police have been cooperating with foreigners to jointly patrol areas where crimes by foreigners often occur.

On Wednesday, 16 members of Seo-gu Bisan 7-dong voluntary crime prevention group joined police patrols.

The area around Bukbu Bus Terminal where many foreigners hang out was their target area.

The crew included seven foreigners ― one Sri Lankan, one Chinese, three Pakistanis and two Bangladeshis.

“Bisan 7-dong around Bukbu Bus Terminal is one of the areas with a high density of foreigners. Crimes involving foreigners take place frequently,” inspector Kim Dong-sik said.

Foreigners run many shops in the Seo-gu area near Bukbu Bus Terminal. / Korea Times

Daegu Seobu Police have cooperated with foreigners for joint patrols in areas where crimes by foreigners are on the rise. / Courtesy of Daegu Seobu Police

The area the bus terminal where E-mart and Paldal Market are located is a foreigners' hangout with many Southeast Asians recently moving in.

Restaurants and shops run by Chinese, Indians and Southeast Asians attract foreign workers from neighboring areas such as Gumi and Chilgok.

There are many shops run and used by foreigners in Daegu's Seogu near Bukbu Bus Terminal. / Korea Times

“We get help on translation from our foreign crew. They are a huge help for international residents and visitors,” a police officer said. The joint patrols have been conducted for seven years.

The main activity is to prevent crimes in regions with many foreign residents, he said.

“We have lived here for a long time, their Korean is just good as mine,” a Korean crew member told The Korea Times on Wednesday, before starting their regular patrol schedule ― three times a week at night.

All members have day jobs and sometimes they can't make it since they have to work overtime.

According to the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency, the number of foreigners arrested in the city for violent crimes reached 281 in 2017, up 17 from the previous year.