The parliamentary committee conducting an investigation into the fatal Itaewon crowd crush rebuked the police for insufficient precautionary measures ahead of the Halloween festivities and the lax response in hours leading up to the tragedy.

During the panel's first hearing on Wednesday, the ruling People Power Party(PPP) grilled former Yongsan police chief Lee Im-jae, who was arrested on charges of occupational negligence resulting in death.

The ruling party chastised the ex-station chief for failing to request the additional personnel from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to maintain security and order in the area as well as for arriving at the site too late.

The main opposition Democratic Party(DP) and the minor Justice Party accused the police of neglecting to prepare for the expected mass gathering of people, instead mobilizing resources to crack down on drug abuse.

When the opposition asked Seoul police chief Kim Kwang-ho about deploying a riot squad this year to prevent crowd-related accidents, Kim replied that his agency has not.