Popular Korean portal site NATE recently conducted a poll regarding the impact of the possible official establishment of the NCSI (Netizen Crime Scene Investigations) to crime fighting in Korea.
In the poll conducted, 58% (2770 votes) agreed that the NSCI would be helpful because the resources and manpower of netizens is undeniable. 40% (1942) disagreed, saying that they thought the NSCI would not help, instead creating confusion in investigations and potentially skewing facts.
The debate over the establishment of the NSCI sparked after netizens greatly helped solve the recent hit-and-run casecommonly known as the “Cream Bread Father” case. A man, on his way home with his father’s favorite pastry, cream bread, was hit and killed by culprit who initially fled from the scene. However, due to netizens who found and spread details about the incident, the culprit eventually turned himself in to the police.
Although this is the most recent case, it was not the first time, as K-netizens had shown their resourcefulness and diligence in investigating, time and time again. Supporters of the movement to establish the NSCI think that netizens could be a great contribution to the crime fighting scene in Korea.
One such supporter, Kim Duho, a netizen who greatly contributed to the “Cream Bread Father” case, talked about the benefits of forming the NSCI, saying “Because netizens are not bound by space or time, it is possible to gather and share information and to efficiently use that information to make sense of the smallest details.”
However, others still remain skeptical of the formation of the NSCI due to many reasons, such as past cases where the truth was skewed by the biased views of some netizens. The police are particuarly skeptical, saying, “Although it is undeniable that netizens aid in raising awareness and spreading information, they tend to focus on identifying culprits more than taking the circumstances into account. There have been cases where individuals who were wrongly identified suffered from mass online attacks. The netizens also have no way in discerning whether or not the result of their investigations is wrong or not.”
Source: News Donga
