The Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency's Autonomous Police Committee is holding the '2025 Autonomous Police Committee Creative Citizen Idea Contest' to allow citizens to directly solve public safety issues in their daily lives. Submissions will be accepted until June 9. This contest is a participatory policy development platform that aims to implement future policing by reflecting citizens' opinions in actual policies, moving away from unilateral, administration-led policies.
Citizen-Participatory Public Safety Policy Focuses on "Resolving Daily Inconveniences"
The Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency's Autonomous Police Committee planned this contest to allow citizens to directly propose inconveniences they experience in their daily lives and suggest creative and feasible solutions to public safety problems. This provides an important opportunity for citizens' voices to lead to substantive policy changes.
The contest categories are divided into three key areas closely related to citizens' lives:
Preventing Everyday Crime: Ideas to protect and prevent citizens from crimes that occur daily, such as theft, violence, and fraud. Examples include expanding crime prevention facilities in specific areas, strengthening patrols during crime-vulnerable hours, and citizen education programs for digital crime prevention.
Protecting Women and Youth: Measures to prevent crimes against socially vulnerable women and youth and to ensure their safety. This could include programs to eradicate school violence, measures to prevent sexual assault and support victims, and the use of smart technology for child safety.
Improving Traffic Safety: Ideas to enhance citizens' safety by improving the traffic environment, such as ensuring pedestrian safety, reducing traffic accidents, and alleviating congestion. Examples include strengthening safety in school zones, optimizing drunk driving enforcement, and improving traffic flow through the introduction of smart traffic systems.
No Age Limit for Participation, Various Channels for Submission
Any Daejeon citizen can participate in this contest regardless of age. This demonstrates the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency's Autonomous Police Committee's commitment to gathering a wide range of ideas through the experiences and perspectives of citizens of various age groups.
Proposal submissions are made through various online channels, prioritizing citizens' convenience:
Daejeon Seesaw Website: Proposals can be conveniently submitted through 'Daejeon Seesaw' (https://daejeon.go.kr/seesaw), Daejeon City's online citizen participation platform.
Google Form: An option is also provided to easily submit ideas using a familiar Google Form.
Email: Proposals can be sent directly to kjinn27@korea.kr, making it accessible even for citizens who are not familiar with digital tools.
Submitted ideas will undergo a thorough evaluation by relevant practical departments and external experts. Fair judging will be based on policy feasibility, creativity of the idea, and social impact. Excellent ideas selected through the evaluation will be awarded digital Onnuri gift certificates totaling 1 million won. One grand prize winner will receive 300,000 won, two excellent prize winners will each receive 200,000 won, and three奨励賞 (encouragement award) winners will each receive 100,000 won.
Key Elements of "Future Policing" Created by Citizens
Park Hee-yong, Chairman of the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency's Autonomous Police Committee, emphasized the significance of this contest, stating, "The process itself of citizens raising issues and directly proposing solutions, moving away from unilateral, administration-led policies, is a key element of future policing." He added, "As citizens' ideas lead to actual policies, we anticipate much interest and active participation."
The autonomous police system was introduced to provide customized public safety services that reflect regional characteristics and residents' demands. Since its launch in 2021, the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency's Autonomous Police Committee has communicated with citizens to establish and implement regionally tailored public safety policies. This contest is part of an effort to further strengthen the essence of this autonomous police system and create tangible change through citizen participation.
If citizens' creative ideas are not merely proposals but are actually implemented as policies, Daejeon's public safety environment will develop to be even safer and more citizen-friendly. This is expected to increase the sense of safety perceived by residents and, furthermore, contribute to improving the quality of life in Daejeon City.
Expansion of Autonomous Policing and the Importance of Citizen Participation
The autonomous police system was officially implemented in South Korea starting in 2021. This system separates public safety services from the existing national police structure, allowing local governments to provide services tailored to regional characteristics. Its purpose is to decentralize police authority and directly reflect the opinions of local residents to establish an efficient and democratic public safety system. Within this institutional framework, the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency's Autonomous Police Committee is making various efforts to incorporate citizens' voices, and this idea contest is a prime example.
The ideas submitted through this contest will form an important foundation for building Daejeon City's 'citizen-led public safety model.' Citizens are often the most knowledgeable about the problems they face, and solutions can often be found on the ground. Therefore, this type of citizen-participatory contest is expected to go beyond simple idea collection and serve as an opportunity to strengthen the partnership between citizens and the police in working together to create a safer community. It remains to be seen what innovative public safety policies the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency's Autonomous Police Committee will create through communication with its citizens in the future.
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