Seven out of 10 retired police officers who underwent employment screening to join law firms over the past five years or so held mid-level ranks such as inspector or lieutenant. With police investigative responsibilities expanding ahead of the revised Criminal Procedure Act taking effect next month, concerns are emerging that a market could form for preferential treatment of former officers with hands-on knowledge of field investigations and procedures.
According to data the National Police Agency submitted on the 20th to the office of Rep. Seo Myung-ok of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, 224 of 704 employment screenings conducted for retired police officers from 2021 through July this year, or 31.8%, listed law firms as the prospective employer.
About 70% of the retired officers screened for law firm positions were concentrated in mid-level ranks such as inspector and lieutenant. Of the 224 cases, 119, or 53.1%, involved inspectors, while 37, or 16.5%, involved lieutenants, bringing the combined total to 156 cases, or 69.6%. Inspectors and lieutenants also accounted for a high 58.1% of all 704 employment screenings.
Some observers project that a market for preferential treatment of retired officers with practical experience could take shape as police investigative authority strengthens under the revised Criminal Procedure Act set to take effect next month. In criminal cases, they say, responding to case handling, decisions not to refer cases to prosecutors, and compulsory and supplementary investigation procedures at the police stage is becoming more important, raising the value of former police practitioners in the legal market.
The National Police Agency, mindful of such concerns, has been tightening internal controls to block the possibility that retired officers might inquire about cases through former colleagues or exert improper influence over investigations. Last month, it revised its code of conduct for officials to codify a reporting obligation for officers who receive inappropriate case inquiries and moved to establish separate disciplinary standards for violations.
