The local patrols assist authorities in manning safety blind spots, helping find missing individuals, and reporting suspected crimes.
The Dog Patrol teams help maintain public safety, reporting incidents like drunken individuals obstructing a sidewalk. Credit: Seoul Metropolitan Government
Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon praised the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) initiative and strong citizen participation in fostering a safer city.
Last year, 1,011 teams filed 331 police reports and 2,263 safety or risk incidents during their 48,431 patrol walks.
Teams also report damage in their neighbourhoods, such as a collapsed umbrella. Credit: Seoul Metropolitan Government
The patrol’s website claims that team Oiji, led by a black Labrador Retriever, “prevented an autistic middle school student from being bullied by his peers” in October.
Another team reported a vehicle driving unsteadily through a school zone, suspecting the person behind the wheel was drink driving.
The program started with 64 teams when it was initiated in 2022. It hopes to recruit 2,000 ongoing teams by the end of 2024.