NCJ Number
155340
Journal
Police Journal Volume: 68 Issue: 2 Dated: (April-June 1995) Pages: 133-135
Date Published
1995
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes modern policing in Japan, a society with a dense population and a low crime rate.
Abstract
Features of Japanese culture that contribute to the low crime rate include the lack of social extremes, an absence of alienation among young people, cohesive family units, minimal unemployment, and a competitive education system. While the ratio of police officers to citizens is lower in Japan than in other industrialized nations, the key to crime prevention lies in the public's perceived attitudes to the police and their deployment. Japanese police utilize a network of police boxes which are staffed by local live- in officers in the country and through shift rotations in the city. Problems areas for police are the increasing rate of firearms crime, the influence of organized criminal groups, and crime committed by foreigners.