crime prevention or waegook watch?

my street

last week as i was walking home i noticed something different about my street. it's a regular street, like any other in my neighbourhood, but there is something different about it now:

security cameras.

they are new. (you can see my building in the background - the one with the "2" on it.) they were put up only last week, and they're the only ones i've seen in my 'hood. i have to wonder why? good thing they put up this sign:

i found (and still find) it strange that there is english on this sign... there isn't any english on any other signs... maybe it's a sign (!) that things are changing? i don't know, but it's odd that four months after moving in, they all of a sudden put up cameras "for the prevention of crimes". does this mean i live in a bad neighbourhood? on a bad street? what is this? a police state?

many questions have been running through my head - being the naturally inquisitive person that i am - and i haven't got an answer for a single one. who can i ask? i don't speak korean so it's not like i can call up the local police station and start asking questions... and even if i could, wouldn't that make them suspicious of me?

i keep wondering if it's to watch me! (lol) you know, checking to make sure that i put my garbage out in the right bag, in the right place, make sure the waegook isn't getting out of control... i know that's silly, and that's half the reason i wrote it, but still... i can't help but wonder all of these things... why my street? why not the next one over? there aren't any shops on my street, just apartments, and parked cars... maybe somebody has been stealing cars lately? i don't know... it's just so strange that i had to write something about it... any ideas???