[Editorial] Crime map

The government’s plan to draw up a map with detailed information on crimes, accidents and natural disasters in each district for public reference can be considered necessary for guaranteeing secure and safe living conditions.

In its policy briefing to President Park Geun-hye last week, the Ministry of Security and Public Administration said the planned map, initially set to target some selected municipal areas, would be expanded to cover the whole nation by 2015. To create and update the map, a new system will be established to integrate scattered information on public security and safety by combining the databases run by different government agencies.

As the ministry hopes, the measure may help improve residents’ awareness of the circumstances they live in and thus prevent them from falling victim to potential crimes and accidents. The comparison by region or district is also anticipated to encourage municipal governments to work harder to improve public security and safety.

But the mapping of offenses such as school violence and sexual assaults has caused some concerns over its possible adverse effects. It seems that careful consideration of details and efforts to widen public understanding will be needed before publicizing the crime map.

Certainly, the country is in increasing need of more effective and tougher measures to curb a rising tide of crimes. A set of dismal statistics released last month testified to the fictitiousness of the long-held perception among Koreans that they live in a relatively safe society.

A report published by a state-run think tank showed the country had higher rates of homicide, sex crimes and theft than the average for the 34-member Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. While crime rates have declined in most OECD member states since 2000, Korea has seen a continuous increase in criminal offenses. About 3 percent of Koreans are victims of crimes each year, which results in social costs estimated at more than 16 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

Under these circumstances, crime mapping by district, which has proven effective in reducing offenses in some major foreign cities, is worth introducing here. But its disclosure to the public may amplify anxiety among residents in areas classified as crime-prone and prompt protests from them over declining home prices and a worsening educational environment. They are also likely to raise questions about the accuracy and reliability of crime statistics.

How to respond to these problems should be taken into full account before deciding to disclose the map. It will be more desirable to make public the map in a cautious and gradual manner while working out measures to enhance residents’ understanding and trust.