South Korean Police Officer Views about the Effects of the Police Organizational Changes during the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: Policing in Asia (Organized and Sponsored by Korean Society of Criminology in America (KoSCA), Association of Chinese Criminology and Criminal Justice in the United States (ACCCJ), and Division of International Criminology (DIC))

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic affected police agencies globally. The police had to protect themselves and limit contact with the public, while still providing essential police services and looking after public safety—in addition to enforcing new pandemic laws/regulations. This study adds to the developing literature on how COVID-19 affected policing. Unlike prior research, which focused on police agencies, we focus on the perceptions and experiences of police officers. Specifically, we explore South Korean police officer perceptions of changes in workload or activities during the pandemic’s peak compared to before the pandemic. Additionally, officers report on potential (un)anticipated consequences from policing during the pandemic.

Authors

• Sanja Kutnjak Ivković, Michigan State University

• Jon Maskaly, University of North Dakota

• Wook Kang, Korean National Police University

• Yongjae Nam, Michigan State University

• Peter Neyroud, University of Cambridge