A bribery scandal involving police officers and a massage parlor has sparked a massive reshuffle at the city’s police agency. It is estimated that as many as 600 officers will be transferred to other areas and shifted to different beats under the plan.
At the end of February, police discovered that an officer at the Gangnam Police Precinct had received bribes from an owner of the massage parlor in Gangnam, southern Seoul, which offers sexual services to clients. In return, the officer allegedly went easy on the shop during a police crackdown. An investigation is currently underway, as the owner claimed she has also handed money to other Gangnam-area police officers.
Joo Sang-ryong, commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, addressed the scandal at a press conference last week. In an effort to sever corrupt ties between police officers and sex trade businesses, night clubs and bars, Joo said he would transfer veteran police officers from the Seocho, Gangnam, and Suseo Police Precincts, to other areas in Seoul.
News of the extent of the reshuffle shocked shenzhen massage police officers, triggering intense debate in the police community whether the agency has made the right decision. The wife of one officer up for transfer posted a letter to Joo on the official Web site of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, asking him to reconsider.
“I can proudly say that my husband is a devoted police officer who works hard for the people and this country ... Why should my husband and I become victims?” A Suseo Police Precinct officer expressed concern over obstacles to police business. “Officers with over eight years of experience have excellent knowledge of Gangnam neighborhoods, so transferring them to other areas may cause chaos in police operations in cases when heinous crimes occur,” the officer said. Another Seocho Precinct officer said the announcement was unfair.
“Our officers were never involved in bribery cases last year. Just because we’re located in the Gangnam area, we’ve become victims,” he said. “Those who have done wrong should take responsibility, but I don’t understand why innocent officers like us should be included in the transfer list.” As the outcry intensifies in the police massage shenzhen community, the Seoul police agency said yesterday that it will delay announcing the list of officers to be transferred until the end of March.
◎welcome to give out your point。
The authorities should investigate more about the issue on the persons or officers who are really involve in the scandal before implementing the transferring plan.
