Osan City to Shed "Dark City" Image and Transform into Bright, Safe City

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park Chan-hyuk] Osan City has joined hands with the Osan Police Agency to shed the stigma of being a "dark city" and transform itself into a bright and safe city where all citizens can feel secure.

The city and Osan Police Agency (Chief Yun Ju-chul) signed a "Nighttime Illumination Improvement MOU" on the 15th at the city hall situation room, and agreed to concentrate on improving the lighting in dark alleys and crime-vulnerable areas to prevent crime and alleviate citizen anxiety.

This MOU was prepared to address the darkness of nighttime pedestrian paths and concerns about crime that Osan City has pointed out.

The city and police plan to establish a close cooperative system to identify dark alleys and crime blind spots, and introduce Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) to implement experiential safety measures.

The two agencies will cooperate in multiple ways for △creating a bright and safe city image △resolving crime blind spots through nighttime illumination improvement △establishing proactive security environment. In particular, based on investigations of dark areas, customized illumination improvement projects will be launched in earnest within the year.

The city plans to more rapidly advance illumination improvement projects targeting crime-vulnerable areas based on this MOU. Through this, the city plans to concentrate its administrative capacity on brightening the previously dark alleys of Osan and protecting the happiness and safety of citizens.

Mayor Lee Kwon-jae stated, "There have been many complaints from citizens that Osan is too dark at night, but with today's agreement, a full-scale change begins. From lighting improvements to environmental improvements, I will create an Osan where all citizens can live with peace of mind, and work closely with the Osan Police Agency to realize a safe and bright city."