The Pros And Cons Of Japanese Policing
Many policing agencies around the world deal with crime in various ways, some adopting community based policing techniques while others may adopt a militaristic approach. In the case of Japanese policing however some researchers believe that their methods are the most effective or considered to be the best. This paper will document why these methods are considered to be the best in the world with a reference to Japan’s historical origins, the use of kobans and why they are seen as effective and ineffective. As well as taking note of the disadvantages in this positive argument about the methods of the Japanese. A reference also to Japanese culture and its effects on crime rates and the general public and why this effective method relies on
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The samurai had been abolished with the rise of the Meiji, however many of them became members of Tokyo’s Metropolitan police force which was formed in 1874 and headed by Kawaji Toshiyoshi. Toshiyoshi is regarded as the ‘founding father of Japanese policing’ (Leishman, 1999, p. 111). Earlier, Toshiyoshi had been tasked to explore Europe and the police structures that were in force, this lead to the establishment of a Home Ministry which could command activities of the police. (Leishman, 1999, p. 111 & Reichel, 2008, p. 198). By 1912 the Meiji was abolished, however this period lead to the implementation of over 15,000 rural residential posts and urban police boxes, this system was under the recommendation of German police advisors (Yoshida & Leishman, 2006, p. 222. The establishment of these police boxes is another reason why Japanese policing is the best in the world.
These police boxes, or ‘kobans’, are occupied by community police officers on a shift rotation, there are around 1,200 police divisions for the whole of Japan. These kobans are assigned with similar departments to that of the main headquarters, for these community safety officers they work in conjunction with those in kobans and chuzaisho (the residential posts) as well as being in touch with patrol cars (Kawamura & Shirakawa, 2008). The duties performed by the Kobans across Japan vary from routine visits to houses in respective areas, frequent patrols and constant
The samurai had been abolished with the rise of the Meiji, however many of them became members of Tokyo’s Metropolitan police force which was formed in 1874 and headed by Kawaji Toshiyoshi. Toshiyoshi is regarded as the ‘founding father of Japanese policing’ (Leishman, 1999, p. 111). Earlier, Toshiyoshi had been tasked to explore Europe and the police structures that were in force, this lead to the establishment of a Home Ministry which could command activities of the police. (Leishman, 1999, p. 111 & Reichel, 2008, p. 198). By 1912 the Meiji was abolished, however this period lead to the implementation of over 15,000 rural residential posts and urban police boxes, this system was under the recommendation of German police advisors (Yoshida & Leishman, 2006, p. 222. The establishment of these police boxes is another reason why Japanese policing is the best in the world.
These police boxes, or ‘kobans’, are occupied by community police officers on a shift rotation, there are around 1,200 police divisions for the whole of Japan. These kobans are assigned with similar departments to that of the main headquarters, for these community safety officers they work in conjunction with those in kobans and chuzaisho (the residential posts) as well as being in touch with patrol cars (Kawamura & Shirakawa, 2008). The duties performed by the Kobans across Japan vary from routine visits to houses in respective areas, frequent patrols and constant