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“I Will Protect Our Neighborhood School Routes!”: Busan Autonomous Police Committee and Busan Police Agency Recruit Child Safety Guardians

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Busan Metropolitan City’s Autonomous Police Committee (Chairperson Kim Cheol-jun, hereinafter the “Committee”), together with the Busan Police Agency, announced that it will recruit Child Safety Guardians for 2026 from January 12 to January 30.

Child Safety Guardians (hereinafter “Guardians”) are part of a citizen-participation public safety program in which participants patrol on foot around elementary school routes, carrying out activities such as preventing crimes against children and inspecting potential child safety hazards.

A total of 302 Guardians will be selected across 16 police stations in Busan, and the number of Guardians assigned to each police station will be distributed in consideration of the number of elementary schools within its jurisdiction.

In light of growing social concerns regarding child safety, the Committee plans to reinforce the child safety network along school routes by deploying 302 Guardians, an increase of 28 compared to last year’s 274.

Any adult who is in good health to conduct approximately three hours of walking patrol per day and has a strong volunteer spirit to protect children may apply. However, individuals deemed unsuitable for Guardian activities—such as those with a history of sexual offenses—will be excluded. Each police station will select Guardians through document screening, a physical fitness test, and an interview.

The finally selected Guardians will conduct patrol activities to protect children in their designated work areas for 10 months, from March through December. Guardians will be assigned to areas such as children’s school commute routes and other locations vulnerable to crime.

Citizens who wish to participate as a Guardian may download the application form available on each police station’s website, complete it, and submit it to the Women and Youth Division of the police station where they wish to serve. For further details regarding applications, inquiries may be directed to the Women and Youth Division at each police station.

Guardians are deployed on school routes and other areas used by children, carrying out activities to ensure children’s safety—for example, escorting a child who is lost to their destination, or moving aside a broken bench found at a playground and reporting it through the Safety Report system.

This year as well, the Committee plans to select outstanding cases every month and award certificates of appreciation from the Chairperson of the Autonomous Police Committee to encourage Guardians’ active participation.

Chairperson Kim Cheol-jun of the Busan Autonomous Police Committee stated, “Along with on-site police activities centered on School Police Officers (SPOs), we will further strengthen community-based public safety networks—such as Child Safety Guardians—in an even more comprehensive manner, and we will do our utmost to create a healthy environment for children to grow.”