Dongducheon may get police department

[unhappycamper]

Dongducheon may get police department
By Hwang Hae-rym and Teri Weaver, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Wednesday, December 3, 2008

SEOUL — Dongducheon city officials are close to getting their own police department, a move that could bolster the local force by more than 200 officers and strengthen its authority when investigating crimes, according to a city official.

The $15 million proposal currently before the National Assembly comes as subway and apartment expansions in recent years have brought more people to this small city north of Seoul, according to Ko Tae-seok, the director of the city’s general affairs department.

But alleged crimes by U.S. servicemembers — such as a rape accusation this summer involving a 2nd Infantry Division soldier — also fuel the need, Ko said.

“Security, public peace and order are in high demand in this neighborhood, especially due to the stationing of U.S. troops,” Ko said through a translator during a telephone interview Monday. “With poor security, people have reported many, many, many complaints.”

Dongducheon is home to about 7,500 to 8,000 soldiers in the U.S. Army’s 2nd Infantry Division at camps Casey and Hovey. The military bases occupy about 40 percent of the land in the city, according to Ko.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=59164