NCJ Number
217111
Date Published
2006
Length
72 pages
Annotation
This booklet provides an overview of the organization and responsibilities of Japan's police.
Abstract
Under Japan's Police Law, the police are responsible for "protecting life, person, and property; preventing, suppressing, and investigating crimes; apprehending suspects; traffic enforcement; and maintaining public safety and order." The National Public Safety Commission and the National Police Agency (NPA) constitute Japan's national police organization. Organizations linked to the NPA are the National Police Academy, the National Research Institute of Police Science, and the Imperial Guard Headquarters. Seven Regional Police Bureaus (RPBs) are subordinate to the NPA. Attached to each RPB is a Regional Police School that provides police personnel with education and training required for junior leaders. The Police Law requires that each prefectural (jurisdiction) have its own police organization, which performs police duties within its jurisdiction. The booklet describes the responsibilities of various police personnel and how they are recruited, screened, and trained. A section of the booklet on "Organization and Resources" describes police equipment and assistance for crime victims. Another section focuses on how local police are structured to provide "Community Safety." This features a description of the "Koban" system, which involves the placement of police boxes (Kobans) at strategic spots in a jurisdiction so police are easily accessible to the community they serve. The activities of Koban police include crime prevention, the monitoring of "amusement" businesses, the control of economic offenses and offenses related to public morals, and juvenile delinquency prevention. Other sections of the booklet pertain to the police work of criminal investigation, traffic law enforcement, counterterrorism and emergency services, police science and communications, and international cooperation. Appended juvenile penal code offenses, police offense statistics for 2000-2004, crime clearances for 2000-2004, and road and traffic law violations in 2003 and 2004