My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 483

“But they don’t actually do that.”

Instead, it’s just recorded in the system as, ‘Investigated as a suspect due to a sex crime that occurred in the vicinity.’ The record gets deleted, right? Of course, it gets deleted after a certain period. But that’s only the official criminal record; these unofficial investigation records usually aren’t deleted.

“So, if you’re wrongly implicated later, you get flagged again.”

If similar individuals are being tracked or investigated in connection with other cases, what would other police officers think if such a statement surfaced?

“I guess they’d prejudge and keep an eye on him.”

“That’s right. And it’s not just men who become victims.”

“Why is that?”

“When the police start staging a show of force, personnel are bound to be *投入* [invested/deployed] to match it. The problem is that the whole thing is often just for show.”

It’s not really about catching the real culprit. Once the narrative becomes a show of ‘We are working tirelessly to catch the culprit,’ dozens or even hundreds of police officers will inevitably be *投入* [invested/deployed].

The problem is that the police officers who come from outside the area don’t know the local landscape, so their investigation is limited, and in the end, they just end up poking around aimlessly.

“There are many female employees there, too. Wouldn’t they feel *불안해하다* [anxious/uneasy]?”

“Ah!”

But despite that, most of them can’t afford to leave because of the practical need to earn a living.

“The chances of catching the real culprit are incredibly low, and it only increases anxiety.”

Lee Ji-soo shook her head, perhaps realizing she hadn’t considered that. She had never heard of such a thing before.

“Moreover, the possibility of the culprit fleeing becomes very high. If they do flee, would the police even be able to track them?”

“I guess that’s true, too.”

There’s no way they can track them because the culprit hasn’t even been identified yet.

“And after a while, the police will withdraw from the show.”

After a month or two, the personnel mobilized for the show will return to headquarters, leaving only the victims with heightened anxiety in that area.

“The Korean investigation method is more specialized in creating criminals than catching them.”

Cha Dae-hoon clicked his tongue. Of course, that’s not always the case.

“But in cases where it’s obvious they’re going to put on a show, they’ll *오히려* [rather/instead] provoke the culprit and make them flee.”

“The media isn’t clean either. Ji-soo, you should know that, too.”

The media are just like wreckers, ultimately chasing views and sensational stories. It’s hard to expect them to work for social justice.

“So, we have a lot of *고민* [worries/concerns].”

Jung Yi-yeon said, sounding disgusted. She pleaded with the police to minimize the *피해자* [victims], but there’s no progress in the investigation, and they haven’t even identified the culprit.

“It would be good if we could at least reduce the attempted crimes.”

If they could at least buy enough time to investigate, but there’s no suitable method. But Park Do-joon had an idea that flashed through his mind at that remark.

“I think there might be a way.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Why don’t you apply fluorescent material?”

“Fluorescent material?”

“Yeah, to be honest, even that alone would be a nightmare for criminals climbing gas pipes.”

“What is that?”

Park Do-joon looked at Jung Yi-yeon with a dumbfounded expression, but he soon understood. She lives in a high-end apartment, so she wouldn’t have had the opportunity to encounter such things.

But fortunately, Cha Dae-hoon knew about it.

“Ah, I guess that’s a method, too. Well, it’s not easy to make them do it, even if it’s mandatory.”

“What is it?”

Even Lee Ji-soo didn’t seem to know what it was. Well, it’s not something you’d see often unless you pay attention to it.

“It’s a special substance.”

Anti-crime fluorescent material is a type of paint that’s invisible to the naked eye but emits light when exposed to ultraviolet light.

However, unlike other paints, it doesn’t dry or evaporate easily. Once applied, it lasts for a short period of 6 months, or up to 10 months.

It doesn’t last long in locations that receive a lot of light or are directly exposed to wind and rain, but otherwise, it lasts long enough.

“If you apply that, traces of someone climbing the *배관* [pipes] will easily *묻다* [be left/transferred].”

“Ah! It’s like the dye packs they use for bank robbers.”

“Similar.”

Dye packs are a method used in the past to catch bank robbers. When a bank robber comes in, they give them money and send them away, but inside, they include a kind of trap called a dye pack, which looks like a bundle of money. The moment they open the bag, the dye pack explodes, spraying dye on the money and the person. This is a substance that can’t be erased without special treatment, so it not only prevents the money from being used but also serves to identify the criminal.

“There’s such a thing?”

“It’s been used for quite a while. Actually, the crime rate *급감* [decreased sharply] after that.”

“What? No, then you should have applied that!”

“That’s under the jurisdiction of local governments.”

It would be nice if the police could do that, but the police lack money and budget. Moreover, this isn’t a government project.

“The police can’t recommend it because it’s a problem that local governments have to take care of, but there’s no solution if they don’t do it.”

“Ugh, I’m going crazy. Crazy bastards……”

Jung Yi-yeon was frustrated at that remark. If there was such a thing, there would have been no problem if they had done it in advance.

“Should I apply for it now, *라도* [even now/at least]?”

“Well, you can, but Attorney Jung, you know how our public officials work, right? It’ll be next year at the earliest.”

“Ah, I guess so.”

Jung Yi-yeon sighed deeply at Cha Dae-hoon’s words. Even knowing that the current rape cases are serious, the government has to first submit a *품의* [formal request], secure a budget, select a company… and go through all sorts of complicated tasks to do something.

In that situation, even if they request it now, the work will proceed by the second half of next year at the earliest.

“Shouldn’t we at least increase patrols in the meantime?”

Park Do-joon shook his head at Lee Ji-soo’s words.

“The police aren’t stupid either. They’ve probably already increased them.”

They’ve definitely increased them. But unfortunately, the fact that they haven’t been caught yet means the culprit is meticulous.

In reality, increasing patrols is more about giving a threat to the other party to prevent attempted crimes than actually catching the real culprit.

“Instead, why don’t you persuade the locals?”

“The locals?”

“The coating cost isn’t that much.”

The fluorescent material itself isn’t very expensive, and it’s not like they’re applying it to all the gas pipes. They only need to apply it to the points where they climb up from the first floor. In other words, the moment they’re caught, it’ll be obvious.

“It’ll probably be around 100,000 won [approximately $75 USD] per household at most.”

Jung Yi-yeon *고민* [pondered/considered] for a moment at Park Do-joon’s words. There are many people who would participate if *월광* [Wol Gwang – the organization’s name] persuaded the locals in this *불안한* [anxious/insecure] situation.

“Of course, it won’t last long.”

“Why is that?”

“I told you. That guy is a *포식자* [predator]. If there’s no prey, he’ll move to another area.”

And the more fluorescent material is applied, the faster that guy will move.

“But there might be houses that don’t do it?”

It’s not about the money. The money won’t cost much, but realistically, they have to get the building owner’s consent even for such a minor task, and there are many cases where they can’t meet the building owners.

“Well, there are more than one or two building owners who set *말도 안 되는* [unreasonable/absurd] conditions.”

Park Do-joon clicked his tongue at that remark, too.

“Well, there’s a way around that. We can put on a show, too.”

“A show? What kind of show?”

“Fluorescent material performance?”

Of course, that’s only a temporary method. Realistically, it’s just a means to buy time.

“Looks like we’ll have to take action ourselves?”

“I guess so.”

Park Do-joon decided to track down who that culprit is.

Bonghwa-dong. An old downtown area where people working in the surrounding factories gather. A place full of villas and studio apartments. Several people were seen walking around and painting. And above, a *플래카드* [placard/banner] was *휘날리다* [fluttering/waving].

– *추진* [Promoting] Bonghwa-dong Fluorescent Paint Coating Project

Park Do-joon *피식 웃다* [smirked/chuckles] as he watched that.

“*선배님* [Senior/Detective], won’t the culprit move with something like that?”

“He won’t move. Rapists are more *겁이 많다* [easily scared/cowardly] than you think.”

Park Do-joon said, looking at the people around him. Most people weren’t very interested in the *휘날리다 플래카드* [fluttering banner].

“Ordinary people aren’t interested in that kind of thing, right?”

“That’s true. But rapists can’t help but be interested. In order not to be caught on CCTV in the first place, they have to *관찰* [observe/monitor] it.”

“Ah!”

Of course, the *플래카드* [placard/banner] and CCTV are installed in a position where you have to look up to see them. In other words, if you look up at the sky to check the CCTV, you can’t help but see those *플래카드* [placards/banners].

“He’ll definitely see it. But it seems like they’re not applying it as much as I thought.”

They’ve definitely promoted it, but not many places have been painted, and there aren’t many people working on it yet. Park Do-joon shrugged at Lee Ji-soo’s words.

“The thing is, no matter how good *월광* [Wol Gwang – the organization’s name] does, people don’t try to accept *호의* [favors/goodwill] as it is.”

*월광* [Wol Gwang – the organization’s name] explained that if they paid only about 100,000 won [approximately $75 USD], they would collect it and apply fluorescent paint to the gas pipes, but some people were *황당하게* [absurdly/outrageously] saying, ‘Then you should be able to pay that much, right?’”

“They think *호의* [goodwill/favors] is a right if it continues. Ha…….”

Lee Ji-soo was *기가 막히다* [speechless/dumbfounded] as she watched the actions of those locals. The reason *월광* [Wol Gwang – the organization’s name] is *나서다* [taking action/stepping up] like this is to prevent more *피해자* [victims] from the continued rape cases. Lee Ji-soo couldn’t understand them acting like that.

“Humans are originally like that.”

If you show *호의* [goodwill/favors], they want to *뜯어 먹다* [take advantage/exploit], and some actually *드러내다* [reveal/show] their *이빨* [teeth/true colors].

“Of course, the *세입자* [tenants] don’t want to pay even if it’s them. But in the end, they have to do it with the *집주인’s* [landlord’s] *동의* [consent/agreement].”

But the *집주인* [landlords] don’t want to manage it themselves because it costs money.

“In the end, people who *떠넘기다* [pass the buck/shirk responsibility] to others are bound to *설치다* [cause trouble/make a fuss].”

In reality, once someone starts acting like that, everything falls apart.

“Don’t you think there will be guys who ask to *발라* [apply/smear] some of what’s left on their building when the construction starts right away?”

“That’s true.”

It’s just a matter of *문지르다* [rubbing/applying] the gas pipes a few times with a roller, and there will definitely be *집주인* [landlords] who will say, ‘Since there’s paint left over anyway, just do it on my building for free.’

*천직이 프로파일러* [A born profiler]