The first department to prevent violent crimes... police officers shun the missing persons investigation unit 경찰청은 지난 1월 강력범죄를 예방하고 대응하기 위해 '범죄예방대응부'를 신설했습니다. The National Police Agency established the 'Crime Prevention and Response Division' in January to prevent and respond to violent crimes. 강력범죄를 막을 첫 번째 부서인데도 경찰들은 이 부서에서 일하는 것을 꺼리는 분위기입니다. Despite being the first department to prevent violent crimes, police officers are shunning this unit. 특히, 실종 관련 사건을 맡는 '실종수사팀'으로 경찰들이 몰리지 않고 있습니다. In particular, police officers are not flocking to the 'Missing Persons Investigation Team', which handles missing persons cases. 서울경찰청의 경우, 1개 팀에 6명이 정원인데도 현재 1명이 결원인 상태입니다. In the case of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Department, although the team has a quota of six members, one position is currently vacant. 경찰청 관계자는 "실종사건이 장기화하면 경찰관 1명이 담당해야 하는 사건 수가 많아져 부담이 된다"며 "결원이 생기면 다른 부서에서 지원받아 운영할 수 밖에 없다"고 말했습니다. A National Police Agency official said, "If a missing persons case drags on, one police officer has to handle many cases, which is a burden. If there is a vacancy, we have no choice but to operate by accepting support from other departments."
A 37-year-old woman believed missing in Jeju has been found after 104 days, sparking criticism over police handling of criminal cases. The incident highlights the urgent need for serious investigation into mass disappearances, but in reality, 99% of adult disappearances are dismissed as "simple outings" by police. Critics argue that structural flaws within the police system allow for negligence and inconsistent investigation.
A report from the Chosun Ilbo reveals that the special unit handling such cases suffers from an overburdened workload and insufficient compensation, leading to demotion in personnel prioritization. Police officers from different stations express their reluctance to handle such cases, citing a lack of support and preference for other types of crime.
The lack of uniform procedures across police stations further compounds the problem, with the quality of "risk assessment" varying greatly depending on individual officers. In the case of the missing woman in Jeju, critics argue that basic procedures were not followed, such as specifying the expected date of return and tracking her movements via CCTV.
Experts recommend that risk assessment be conducted by external experts or profilers rather than individual officers, and that clear protocols be established to ensure that cases are not arbitrarily closed.
Written by urgent.news from Hankyoreh's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
