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By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
Police and regional governments are moving to install more surveillance cameras across the nation, as closed-circuit televisions (CCTV) cameras played a key role in apprehending serial killer Kang Ho-soon.
In particular, Gyeonggi Province is expected to install more cameras and have more police stations increase public security in the region. A small number of policemen and insufficient security facilities have been blamed for repeated sex crimes in Hawseong and nearby towns.
The government will set up police stations in Yongin, Anyang, Hanam, Bucheon and Dongducheon by 2012, according to the National Police Agency (NPA), Wednesday. Small-sized branch offices will also be set up in regions where distances between police stations are too great.
As for the increase in police officers, 1,192 new officers will be dispatched to the Gyeonggi region when their training is complete during the first half of the year.
The measure has come after Kang, who confessed to murdering seven women, committed some of his crimes in southwestern Gyeonggi Province. The region has been vulnerable to violent crime, such as kidnapping, murder and sexual assault, since the 1980s. Photos of cars taken by surveillance cameras near Kang's murders provided crucial evidence in nabbing the murderer, according to the police.
``The province has both crowded cities and desolate farming areas. As the province is very large, police do not cover deserted farming areas adequately,'' an NPA official said.
The number of residents per police officer is 720 in Gyeonggi Province, a much larger figure than the nation's average of 507. Police will install 1,724 surveillance cameras in southern Gyeonggi this year. State-of-the-art cameras with high resolution and that can distinguish objects at night will be installed.
Streetlights will be added to 164 desolate areas, especially near bus stops. Kang lured victims who were waiting for buses at bus stops by saying he would bring them home.
Local authorities are separately moving to install more cameras. Seoul City will set up 800 cameras at some 200 elementary schools in a bid to prevent school violence and crimes targeting children, such as kidnapping. It plans to have all 578 primary schools under CCTV surveillance by the end of the year, while 367 schools currently have them.
Since Kang's murders, telecommunication companies have seen a hike in the number of customers applying for a location information service designed for the safety of beloved ones.
SKTelecom received 1,000 applications in two days from Sunday to Monday for the service, with which a person can designate two people ― family members or other loved ones ― and check their locations on maps through wireless Internet via cell phone. The company used to have 500-600 applications per month.
KTF also had 3,600 new members for a similar service for children from Monday to Tuesday, while average new applications were 600 to 700 monthly. LGTelecom saw 3,000 applications for the service from Jan. 25, when Kang was arrested, while it had 100 from Jan. 1 to 24.
rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr
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