By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
Crimes by foreign nationals are rising here but police assigned to oversee the foreign community are suffering an extreme shortage of officers.
Rep. Kim Tae-won of the ruling National Grand Party said that the number of police officers at the foreign affairs department stood at 1,096 nationwide in October. About 1.2 million foreigners are living here.
``Simply put, the number of residents per foreign affairs police officer is 1,073, compared with 504 Koreans per officer nationwide,'' he said. ``We lack police officers who can handle crimes committed by foreign nationals.''
The number of crimes has risen steadily with the foreign population increase, reaching 14,524 in 2007 from 12,657 the previous year. ``The number already reached 16,198 as of October.
By region, Ilsan, Ansan, Hwaseong and Anseong in Gyeonggi Province recorded extreme police manpower shortages. The number of foreigners per foreign affairs policeman is 9,127 in Ilsan, 7,165 in Ansan, 6,803 in Hwaseong and 5,916 in Anseong.
The number of foreign residents in the areas has increased sharply but the number of police officers has remained stagnant.
Also more violent crimes are being committed including murder and rape, alongside an increase in drug trafficking.
``We have seen a massive influx of foreigners in recent years. We need more officers to over see them,'' said an official from the Foreign Department at the National Police Agency, who declined to be named.
They plan to open security centers in regions where foreigners established their own districts such as the ethnic Korean-Chinese and Chinese village in Guro, Seoul and a Bangladeshi town in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, he said.