○ Gyeonggi Province, Ansan City, and Ansan Danwon Police Station sign an MOU on December 9 to supply Gyeonggi Safety Bells to households vulnerable to criminal activity
– First step in acting during ‘golden time’ to prevent crimes in households vulnerable to criminal activity
– Can be activated without a smartphone in emergency situations
– No installation costs incurred and available at an affordable price

Gyeonggi Province’s newly developed Gyeonggi Safety Bell, which immediately alerts police when activated in emergency situations, is scheduled to be piloted in Ansan City after distribution to 3,000 households vulnerable to criminal activity.

Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Lee Yong-cheol, Ansan City Mayor Yoon Hwa-seop, and Ansan Danwon Police Station Chief Kim Tae-su took part in the MOU signing ceremony at Ansan City Hall on December 9 for the distribution of Gyeonggi Safety Bells to households vulnerable to criminal activity.

This MOU will see Gyeonggi Province’s Gyeonggi Safety Bell, a panic button co-developed by Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggido Business & Science Accelerator, piloted so as to ensure action during the ‘golden time’ for preventing crimes against single-person households, small businesses, women, senior citizens, and others.

The Gyeonggi Safety Bell, based on Bluetooth low-energy beacon technology through which the location-based broadcasting device regularly transmits location signals, is designed to be connected to smartphones and even paired to nearby beacons for offline services. Users can install it in their residence to issue instant police alerts by pressing a button that sends emergency SMS texts in emergency situations. The device is available at an affordable price (KRW 15,000 per unit) with no separate installation cost.

According to the MOU, Gyeonggi Province will oversee distribution as well as operation and management of the system, while Ansan City will promote the program and select eligible households (e.g. single-person households, female residents) that are vulnerable to criminal activity, and the Ansan Danwon Police Station will directly respond to emergency calls (e.g. receiving alerts via SMS, dispatching police officers).

Vice Governor Lee said, “The signing of this MOU for the distribution of Gyeonggi Safety Bell is meaningful at a time when security concerns are higher than ever.” He added, “I hope that the safety and security of Gyeonggi Province can be improved greatly by expanding the implementation of Gyeonggi Safety Bell throughout the province.”

Meanwhile, this project was recognized during a technology development competition for regional safety hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in 2020. The official title of the project is “Establishment of a Crime Prevention and Response System for Single-person Households and Households Vulnerable to Criminal Activity.” The 3-year project will be funded with a budget of KRW 1.83 billion.