Round-the-clock video surveillance and close coordination with police help prevent major losses; operators recognized by national and Seoul police chiefs
Operators at the Dobong-gu CCTV Integrated Control Center in Seoul played a decisive role in the on-site arrests of a burglary suspect and an arson suspect through real-time video surveillance, earning commendations from the Korean National Police Agency commissioner and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency chief, respectively.
Dobong-gu operates the control center around the clock, 365 days a year, using a network of 3,266 CCTV cameras to monitor potential hazards across every corner of the district.
The center is staffed by 15 Dobong-gu operators working in five shifts of three, alongside three police officers seconded from the Dobong Police Station, who carry out continuous monitoring. When an incident is detected, operators immediately alert police and share footage to help track and apprehend suspects.
In August, an operator monitoring a traditional market area late at night spotted two suspicious individuals wandering through an alley before breaking into a closed shop.
The operator immediately called the police emergency line and used surrounding cameras to share the suspects' movements in real time, helping officers catch the pair in the act of aggravated burglary.
Then in October, an operator witnessed an apparently intoxicated man set fire to a pile of discarded cardboard boxes on a street in a densely packed residential and commercial area at around 3 a.m. The blaze risked spreading to neighboring buildings and triggering a major fire.
The operator promptly notified police and continued tracking the suspect, relaying the precise location. Police apprehended the suspect within minutes, and the fire was quickly extinguished, preventing casualties and property damage.
The operators who contributed to resolving the two incidents were recognized for their efforts with commendations from the national and Seoul police chiefs. Dobong-gu credited the results to an expansion of CCTV coverage based on analysis of crime-vulnerable areas, as well as training programs for operators focused on precision monitoring and emergency response.
"The dedication of our operators — who watch their monitors day and night in places no one sees, protecting residents' lives and property — is what stopped these crimes and prevented the fire from spreading," Dobong-gu District Mayor Kim Dong-wook said. "We will continue to upgrade the control center so that every resident can feel safe, building a top-tier secure district."
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