The police response to a wire theft incident that occurred at a building in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on September 10 has sparked controversy.

The suspect broke the locks, broke into the building, and cut off and stole all the wires connected to outlets, fluorescent lights, TVs, and air conditioners.

Copper pipes on the ceiling, a smartwatch, and wireless earphones also vanished, and the victim estimates that it will cost a total of 3.5 million won to reinstall the wires and restore the walls and ceilings.

With thefts targeting electric wires on the rise recently due to soaring copper prices, it is suggested that this crime was committed for the same reason. However, the problem lay in the police's handling of the case.

[Informant : Two police officers came (after the initial report), but since it was so dark, they just took pictures and left. When I asked if they weren't going to collect fingerprints, they told me the detectives would handle it. I asked a detective if they weren't going to collect fingerprints, but you can tell by the look in their eyes... there was no will to actively catch the culprit. They said there are security CCTVs nearby, but they're rotating ones so they didn't know if they'd be able to catch anything. It's almost been a month, and feeling like I wanted to grab at even a straw, I walked around the neighborhood and found a CCTV at a hardware store. It captures right in front of my house. I managed to find that in just an hour...] br />
An expert pointed out that a shortage of investigative personnel is the root cause.

[Lee Kyung-min / Attorney : To be cautious, the police have taken over all investigative powers now. Because there are now too many cases, a real problem with manpower is bound to arise. So it's really concerning. You must not become a victim of such crimes. Because it is too much to expect the police to secure this on their own, given their lack of capacity. It seems things have reached a point where people really have to protect themselves now.]

When asked for their stance, the police explained that because the scene was in disarray, it was impossible to specify which objects were touched, making fingerprint collection unfeasible.

They also acknowledged that the investigation was progressing slowly due to being handled alongside major cases, but stated that they are currently securing nearby CCTV footage to continue the investigation.

If the suspect is apprehended, charges such as larceny, trespassing on a building, and destruction of property may be applied, and if habitualness is recognized, a prolonged prison sentence could be handed down.

(Produced by Lee Seyoung | Video Editing by Lee Da-in | Source: News Hunters | Produced by SBS Digital News)