NCJ Number
58282
Journal
Police Magazine Volume: 2 Issue: 4 Dated: (JULY 1979) Pages: 49-53
Date Published
1979
Length
5 pages
Annotation
FOCUSING ON BASIC EDUCATION AND TRAINING METHODS OF THE TOKYO POLICE ACADEMY, THIS ARTICLE FROM POLICE MAGAZINE EXAMINES CRIME IN JAPAN AND TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE.
Abstract
TOKYO'S POLICE AND THE REST OF THE 200,000 OFFICERS WHO MAN THE COUNTRY'S CENTRALIZED NATIONAL POLICE AGENCY (NPA) ENJOY A RELATIVELY HIGH SOCIAL STATUS. SINCE THE POLICE ARE CONSIDERED WHITE-COLLAR WORKERS, MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF RECRUITS ATTRACTED TO THE FIELD ARE COLLEGE GRADUATES WHO EARN A HIGHER WAGE THAN MOST GOVERNMENT WORKERS. ALTHOUGH CRIME STATISTICS ARE EXTREMELY LOW BY WESTERN STANDARDS (TOKYO, THE WORLD'S LARGEST CITY, HAS A LOWER CRIME RATE THAN ANY MAJOR CITY IN THE WORLD), ABRUPT SOCIAL CHANGES HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO INCREASED CASES OF ARSON, BOMBING, AND VEHICULAR LARCENY, AS WELL AS BRIBERY AND OTHER WHITE-COLLAR CRIMES. EVEN MORE WORRISOME TO JAPANESE SOCIETY IS THE FREQUENCY OF JUVENILE CRIME AND THE USE OF FIREARMS. FOR THESE REASONS, JAPANESE POLICE OFFICIALS TAKE THEIR TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES VERY SERIOUSLY. EACH YEAR, ABOUT 80,000 PEOPLE ATTEND ONE OF JAPAN'S 57 POLICE SCHOOLS, WHERE RECRUITS FACE A RUGGED TRAINING PERIOD OF 12 MONTHS FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES AND 6 MONTHS FOR WOMEN AND COLLEGE GRADUATES--THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF POLICE TRAINING IN THE UNITED STATES IS 8 WEEKS. CURRICULUM INCLUDES AN INTENSIVE STUDY OF JAPANESE LAW AND PRACTICAL POLICE SUBJECTS, SUCH AS TRAFFIC CONTROL AND POLICE ADMINISTRATION. PHYSICAL TRAINING STRESSES MASTERY OF THE MARTIAL ARTS; TO QUALIFY AS A POLICE OFFICER, THE STUDENT MUST OBTAIN A BLACK BELT IN JUDO OR A SIMILAR DISTINCTION IN KENDO. IT IS FELT THAT IN A CROWDED CITY JUDO IS AN EFFECTIVE METHOD TO DISARM A SUSPECT AND KENDO, THE ANCIENT ART OF JAPANESE FENCING, BUILDS DISCIPLINE AND CHARACTER. IN ADDITION TO PHYSICAL TRAINING, COURSES ARE GIVEN IN CALLIGRAPHY, FLOWER ARRANGING, TEA CEREMONY, POETRY WRITING, AND JAPANESE FLUTE TO SENSITIZE A POLICE OFFICER TO THE ARTISTIC SIDE OF HUMAN NATURE. AFTER 1 YEAR AT A POLICE STATION, AN OFFICER MUST RETURN TO SCHOOL FOR 4 MONTHS TO IMPROVE HIS SKILLS, AND POLICE ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE SELF-DEFENSE COURSES THROUGHOUT THEIR CAREERS. SOME ILLUSTRATIONS ARE USED. (WJR)