Monday 22nd September, 03:29 PM JST
TOKYO —
A police officer apparently shot himself at a police station in Tokyo’s Itabashi Ward while he was on duty early Monday morning, police said. At around 5:45 a.m. Monday, an officer at the Shimura police station heard the sound of a gunshot from a bathroom and found Daisuke Orihara, 26, collapsed and bleeding from the head inside one of the stalls. Orihara died later at a hospital.
Police said they are treating the case as suicide, although no suicide note has been found, and are investigating the background and cause of the incident. Orihara was on duty for 24 hours until 9 a.m. Monday and had been with his colleagues until shortly before he shot himself with his own gun, the police said. Orihara apparently lost several traffic violation tickets on Sunday and was looking for them, but they have not been found, police said.
Japan Today
Monday, September 22, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Police order gang bosses not to reward yakuza hit men who attack rivals
Police have ordered 28 gang bosses across the country not to reward their members who have shot or attacked rival yakuza in gang wars, National Police Agency (NPA) officials said.
Fifteen police departments, including the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and Osaka and Fukuoka prefectural police, issued the orders under the revised anti-gang law that took effect in August.
Crime syndicates often promote or give cash rewards to members when they are released from prison after serving time for attacking rival yakuza in gang wars, according to NPA officials.
The orders are aimed at banning such practices and helping prevent gang wars.
The orders issued this time were provisional ones. After questioning the gang bosses, the police departments will issue full-scale orders, the NPA officials said.
September 17, 2008
Mainichi
Fifteen police departments, including the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and Osaka and Fukuoka prefectural police, issued the orders under the revised anti-gang law that took effect in August.
Crime syndicates often promote or give cash rewards to members when they are released from prison after serving time for attacking rival yakuza in gang wars, according to NPA officials.
The orders are aimed at banning such practices and helping prevent gang wars.
The orders issued this time were provisional ones. After questioning the gang bosses, the police departments will issue full-scale orders, the NPA officials said.
September 17, 2008
Mainichi
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Niigata cop aided illegal worker
NIIGATA (Kyodo) A policeman tried to help a female Chinese student who was working illegally at an adult entertainment shop in the city of Niigata last year avoid a crackdown, Niigata Prefectural Police sources said Wednesday.
The officer, who is in his 30s, resigned voluntarily in March, even though an internal investigation concluded his actions did not violate any laws and he was only punished.
According to the sources, the student, who is in her 20s, was on a study visa and working without authorization in violation of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law.
The woman became aware last December that police were secretly investigating the shop and asked the officer, an acquaintance, to help her. In response, the officer advised her to get rid of the shop's list of employees, the sources said.
When police questioned the officer on a voluntary basis on suspicion of helping the woman violate immigration law, he confessed, saying he felt sympathy for her.
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008
Japan Times
The officer, who is in his 30s, resigned voluntarily in March, even though an internal investigation concluded his actions did not violate any laws and he was only punished.
According to the sources, the student, who is in her 20s, was on a study visa and working without authorization in violation of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law.
The woman became aware last December that police were secretly investigating the shop and asked the officer, an acquaintance, to help her. In response, the officer advised her to get rid of the shop's list of employees, the sources said.
When police questioned the officer on a voluntary basis on suspicion of helping the woman violate immigration law, he confessed, saying he felt sympathy for her.
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008
Japan Times
Fukui cop held for allegedly harassing woman with e-mails
Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008
KANAZAWA, Ishikawa Pref. (Kyodo) A policeman who allegedly sent harassing e-mails to a woman who broke up with him was arrested Friday on suspicion of violating the antistalking law, police said.
KANAZAWA, Ishikawa Pref. (Kyodo) A policeman who allegedly sent harassing e-mails to a woman who broke up with him was arrested Friday on suspicion of violating the antistalking law, police said.
Fukui Prefectural Police Sgt. Kazuyuki Yamashita, 31, a resident of the city of Fukui, has owned up to the harassment, police said.
An investigation determined that Yamashita sent 27 e-mails to the woman's mobile phone between July 23 and Aug. 17 asking her to talk to him.
Police said Yamashita became acquainted with the woman, a 25-year-old resident of Kanazawa, in 2005 but she dumped him in January. She contacted Ishikawa Prefectural Police on Monday.
The 2000 antistalking law sets penalties of imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of up to ¥500,000.
Japan Times
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Cops punished for handing cigarettes, cell phone to detainee, violently treating youths
YOKOHAMA -- A police sergeant and three other officers who provided cigarettes and a cell phone to a detainee have been punished, while another officer accused of injuring a detained youth was reported to prosecutors, law enforcers said.
The Kanagawa Prefectural Police Inspection Office announced punishments, including at least one 10 percent pay cut for six months, for the four officers on Tuesday. Among the four were a 56-year-old officer from Kagacho Police Station, and a 47-year-old senior officer.
Investigators said that the four supplied snacks to a 43-year-old truck driver who was being held on suspicion of intimidation, after he made a row during a police night shift in January. Later the man made threats, saying, "I'll tell your bosses (that you've violated regulations). I'll go wild." In response, the officers handed him cigarettes and gave him access to a cell phone on about 90 occasions. Their actions were uncovered in March.
In addition, police announced that a 39-year-old officer accused of violently treating three youths who made a row at a facility for juveniles at Kawasaki Police Station had been reprimanded. He was reported to public prosecutors on suspicion of injuring one of the youths.
"We want to work to prevent recurrences of such incidents," an Inspection Office official said.
神奈川県警：留置中に携帯提供などで５人懲戒処分
神奈川県警監察官室は２２日、恐喝容疑などで逮捕・拘置されたトラック運転手の男（４３）に、たばこや携帯電話などを渡したとして、加賀町署の男性巡査部長（５６）と男性巡査長（４７）ら４人を減給１０分の１（６カ月）などの懲戒処分にしたと発表した。
調べでは、警務課管理係の４人は１月中旬、夜間当直中に男が留置場で騒いだため、菓子などを提供。その後、男から「上司に（規則違反を）言うよ。暴れちゃうよ」と脅され、計約９０回にわたってたばこやライター、はさみ、携帯電話などを渡した。３月中旬の異動を機に発覚した。
また川崎署の留置施設少年室で、騒いだ少年３人に暴行したとして、同署管理係の男性巡査部長（３９）を戒告の懲戒処分にし、１人にけがをさせた特別公務員暴行陵虐致傷容疑で横浜地検に書類送検した。西村昇・県警監察官室長は「誠に遺憾であり、再発防止に努めたい」とコメントした。【鈴木一生】
Mainichi Newspaper
July 23rd, 2008
The Kanagawa Prefectural Police Inspection Office announced punishments, including at least one 10 percent pay cut for six months, for the four officers on Tuesday. Among the four were a 56-year-old officer from Kagacho Police Station, and a 47-year-old senior officer.
Investigators said that the four supplied snacks to a 43-year-old truck driver who was being held on suspicion of intimidation, after he made a row during a police night shift in January. Later the man made threats, saying, "I'll tell your bosses (that you've violated regulations). I'll go wild." In response, the officers handed him cigarettes and gave him access to a cell phone on about 90 occasions. Their actions were uncovered in March.
In addition, police announced that a 39-year-old officer accused of violently treating three youths who made a row at a facility for juveniles at Kawasaki Police Station had been reprimanded. He was reported to public prosecutors on suspicion of injuring one of the youths.
"We want to work to prevent recurrences of such incidents," an Inspection Office official said.
神奈川県警：留置中に携帯提供などで５人懲戒処分
神奈川県警監察官室は２２日、恐喝容疑などで逮捕・拘置されたトラック運転手の男（４３）に、たばこや携帯電話などを渡したとして、加賀町署の男性巡査部長（５６）と男性巡査長（４７）ら４人を減給１０分の１（６カ月）などの懲戒処分にしたと発表した。
調べでは、警務課管理係の４人は１月中旬、夜間当直中に男が留置場で騒いだため、菓子などを提供。その後、男から「上司に（規則違反を）言うよ。暴れちゃうよ」と脅され、計約９０回にわたってたばこやライター、はさみ、携帯電話などを渡した。３月中旬の異動を機に発覚した。
また川崎署の留置施設少年室で、騒いだ少年３人に暴行したとして、同署管理係の男性巡査部長（３９）を戒告の懲戒処分にし、１人にけがをさせた特別公務員暴行陵虐致傷容疑で横浜地検に書類送検した。西村昇・県警監察官室長は「誠に遺憾であり、再発防止に努めたい」とコメントした。【鈴木一生】
Mainichi Newspaper
July 23rd, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Police ID, uniform stolen from car of officer playing pachinko
NICHINAN, Miyazaki -- Two bags containing a police officer's identification and a uniform were stolen from his car while he was playing pachinko here, law enforcers said.
Fearing that the ID and other items could be used for criminal purposes, every officer at Nichinan Police Station was dispatched to look for the bags.
Investigators said the 30-year-old officer had been on night duty and finished his shift Sunday morning. Shortly after noon, he went to a pachinko parlor in Nichinan in his own car. When he returned to his car about four hours later, he found that the window on the passenger's side of the vehicle had been smashed, and two bags containing his identification, name cards and a uniform had been stolen from the vehicle.
"The officer lacked care in not carrying his police identification with him," a police station official said. "We will put every effort into the investigation, and will work to prevent such an incident in the future."
警察手帳：宮崎県警の巡査長、パチンコ中に車から盗まれる
２０日午後４時すぎ、宮崎県警日南署交通課の巡査長（３０）から同署に「警察手帳などの入ったバッグを盗まれた」と連絡があった。同署は手帳などが悪用される恐れもあるため、全署員を出勤させバッグを探している。
調べでは、巡査長はこの日宿直明けで午前中まで勤務。正午過ぎから自家用車で日南市平野のパチンコ店に行き、約４時間後に駐車場に止めていた車に戻ったところ、助手席の窓ガラスが割られて車内にあったバッグ２個が盗まれていた。バッグには手帳のほか、名刺や交通捜査用の制服などが入っていた。
同署の吉田繁人副署長は「警察手帳を携行しなかったのは、注意不足だった。全力を挙げて捜査し、再発防止に努めたい」と話している。【塩満温】
Mainichi Newspaper
July 21st, 2008
Fearing that the ID and other items could be used for criminal purposes, every officer at Nichinan Police Station was dispatched to look for the bags.
Investigators said the 30-year-old officer had been on night duty and finished his shift Sunday morning. Shortly after noon, he went to a pachinko parlor in Nichinan in his own car. When he returned to his car about four hours later, he found that the window on the passenger's side of the vehicle had been smashed, and two bags containing his identification, name cards and a uniform had been stolen from the vehicle.
"The officer lacked care in not carrying his police identification with him," a police station official said. "We will put every effort into the investigation, and will work to prevent such an incident in the future."
警察手帳：宮崎県警の巡査長、パチンコ中に車から盗まれる
２０日午後４時すぎ、宮崎県警日南署交通課の巡査長（３０）から同署に「警察手帳などの入ったバッグを盗まれた」と連絡があった。同署は手帳などが悪用される恐れもあるため、全署員を出勤させバッグを探している。
調べでは、巡査長はこの日宿直明けで午前中まで勤務。正午過ぎから自家用車で日南市平野のパチンコ店に行き、約４時間後に駐車場に止めていた車に戻ったところ、助手席の窓ガラスが割られて車内にあったバッグ２個が盗まれていた。バッグには手帳のほか、名刺や交通捜査用の制服などが入っていた。
同署の吉田繁人副署長は「警察手帳を携行しなかったのは、注意不足だった。全力を挙げて捜査し、再発防止に努めたい」と話している。【塩満温】
Mainichi Newspaper
July 21st, 2008
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Cop tried to cover up blunder over fuel-soaked man who ignited self during questioning
NAGOYA -- A police sergeant tried to cover up an investigation blunder after he and his colleagues gave a kerosene-soaked man a lighter for a cigarette during questioning, and the man fatally set himself alight, investigators said.
A 54-year-old sergeant at Atsuta Police Station in Aichi Prefecture has admitted to having taken away the lighter and an ashtray from the interrogation room and hiding them right after the fatal fire.
Aichi Prefectural Police sent papers accusing the sergeant, as well as two senior officers aged 28 and 25 and a 24-year-old officer who brought the lighter into the interrogation room, of professional negligence resulting in death.
"I thought it would not look good if it turned out that we let the man smoke inside the interrogation room, as smoking is prohibited," the sergeant told investigators in admitting to the allegations.
The four officers took custody of Hifumi Kubota, 45, an unemployed man from Nagoya, late at night on May 10 after he was found drunk and had soaked himself in kerosene, according to local police.
The officers questioned Kubota at their police station from around 11:15 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. the following day.
When the officers tried to have Kubota undergo a sobriety test, he demanded that he be allowed to smoke a cigarette. "I'll agree if you let me smoke," he was quoted as telling the officers.
The policemen then brought in a cigarette, a lighter and an ashtray while neglecting to watch over Kubota, investigators said. Kubota lit the lighter and subsequently caught fire.
After the incident, it emerged that the lighter and the ashtray had disappeared from the interrogation room.
One of the three policemen, who were inside the interrogation room, initially told police, "We don't know what happened to them (the lighter and the ashtray)." However, it turned out later that the 54-year-old sergeant had taken away the objects from the room after the incident and hid them in the kitchen at the police station.
The ashtray was later discovered, but the lighter has reportedly not turned up yet, according to police. Investigators suspect that a third person unaware of the circumstances may have taken the lighter.
The three policemen told investigators that they didn't see how the fire started, but a police experiment proved that clothes would not catch fire from a cigarette flame alone. Aichi Prefectural Police have determined that Kubota's clothes caught fire directly from the lighter.
熱田署取調室焼死：巡査部長「ライター隠した」 発覚恐れ
愛知県警熱田署で５月、酔って保護された名古屋市熱田区の無職、久保田一二三（ひふみ）さん（当時４５歳）が取調室で焼死した事件で、同署地域課の巡査部長（５４）が県警の調べに対し、出火直後に取調室からライターと灰皿を持ち出して隠したことを認めていることが３日、分かった。巡査部長は「禁煙の取調室でたばこを吸わせたことが発覚するとまずいと思った」などと話しているという。県警は４日にもこの巡査部長ら署員４人を業務上過失致死容疑で書類送検する。
ほかに書類送検されるのは、取調室にいた２８歳と２５歳の巡査長と、室内にライターを持ち込んだ巡査（２４）の３人。
県警刑事総務課などの調べでは、４人は５月１０日午後１１時１５分から１１日午前０時１５分ごろにかけて、酔って自ら灯油を浴びた久保田さんを保護して同署取調室で聴取。飲酒検知をしようとしたところ「たばこを吸わせてくれれば応じる」と要求されたため、たばこ、ライター、灰皿を用意したうえ監視を怠り、久保田さんにライターを使わせ焼死させた疑い。
事件後、取調室からライターと灰皿がなくなっていることが判明。取調室にいた３人は当初、県警の調べに「どうなったか分からない」と話していたが、その後、巡査部長が自分で持ち出し、署の炊事場に隠したことを認めたという。灰皿は見つかったが、ライターはいまだに見つかっていないといい、事情を知らない第三者がさらに別の場所に持ち去った可能性もある。
一方、３人は「どのように出火したか見ていない」と話しているが、再現実験でたばこの火では衣類に引火しないことが判明。県警はライターの火が直接衣類に引火したと断定した。【飯田和樹、福島祥】
July 4th, 2008
Mainichi Newspaper
A 54-year-old sergeant at Atsuta Police Station in Aichi Prefecture has admitted to having taken away the lighter and an ashtray from the interrogation room and hiding them right after the fatal fire.
Aichi Prefectural Police sent papers accusing the sergeant, as well as two senior officers aged 28 and 25 and a 24-year-old officer who brought the lighter into the interrogation room, of professional negligence resulting in death.
"I thought it would not look good if it turned out that we let the man smoke inside the interrogation room, as smoking is prohibited," the sergeant told investigators in admitting to the allegations.
The four officers took custody of Hifumi Kubota, 45, an unemployed man from Nagoya, late at night on May 10 after he was found drunk and had soaked himself in kerosene, according to local police.
The officers questioned Kubota at their police station from around 11:15 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. the following day.
When the officers tried to have Kubota undergo a sobriety test, he demanded that he be allowed to smoke a cigarette. "I'll agree if you let me smoke," he was quoted as telling the officers.
The policemen then brought in a cigarette, a lighter and an ashtray while neglecting to watch over Kubota, investigators said. Kubota lit the lighter and subsequently caught fire.
After the incident, it emerged that the lighter and the ashtray had disappeared from the interrogation room.
One of the three policemen, who were inside the interrogation room, initially told police, "We don't know what happened to them (the lighter and the ashtray)." However, it turned out later that the 54-year-old sergeant had taken away the objects from the room after the incident and hid them in the kitchen at the police station.
The ashtray was later discovered, but the lighter has reportedly not turned up yet, according to police. Investigators suspect that a third person unaware of the circumstances may have taken the lighter.
The three policemen told investigators that they didn't see how the fire started, but a police experiment proved that clothes would not catch fire from a cigarette flame alone. Aichi Prefectural Police have determined that Kubota's clothes caught fire directly from the lighter.
熱田署取調室焼死：巡査部長「ライター隠した」 発覚恐れ
愛知県警熱田署で５月、酔って保護された名古屋市熱田区の無職、久保田一二三（ひふみ）さん（当時４５歳）が取調室で焼死した事件で、同署地域課の巡査部長（５４）が県警の調べに対し、出火直後に取調室からライターと灰皿を持ち出して隠したことを認めていることが３日、分かった。巡査部長は「禁煙の取調室でたばこを吸わせたことが発覚するとまずいと思った」などと話しているという。県警は４日にもこの巡査部長ら署員４人を業務上過失致死容疑で書類送検する。
ほかに書類送検されるのは、取調室にいた２８歳と２５歳の巡査長と、室内にライターを持ち込んだ巡査（２４）の３人。
県警刑事総務課などの調べでは、４人は５月１０日午後１１時１５分から１１日午前０時１５分ごろにかけて、酔って自ら灯油を浴びた久保田さんを保護して同署取調室で聴取。飲酒検知をしようとしたところ「たばこを吸わせてくれれば応じる」と要求されたため、たばこ、ライター、灰皿を用意したうえ監視を怠り、久保田さんにライターを使わせ焼死させた疑い。
事件後、取調室からライターと灰皿がなくなっていることが判明。取調室にいた３人は当初、県警の調べに「どうなったか分からない」と話していたが、その後、巡査部長が自分で持ち出し、署の炊事場に隠したことを認めたという。灰皿は見つかったが、ライターはいまだに見つかっていないといい、事情を知らない第三者がさらに別の場所に持ち去った可能性もある。
一方、３人は「どのように出火したか見ていない」と話しているが、再現実験でたばこの火では衣類に引火しないことが判明。県警はライターの火が直接衣類に引火したと断定した。【飯田和樹、福島祥】
July 4th, 2008
Mainichi Newspaper
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Senior policeman reprimanded for losing handbook ID
YAMAGUCHI -- A senior policeman has been reprimanded for losing his police handbook, which serves as his identification, at the end of last year, police said.
The announcement came on Monday after news organizations pointed out that Yamaguchi Prefectural Police had not disclosed that the policeman was reprimanded in May.
According to police, a senior policeman in his 30s at the Yamaguchi Prefectural Police's Chofu Police Station realized that he had lost his police handbook and reported it to his superior on Dec. 18 last year.
The senior policeman was quoted as telling police that he remembers having had the handbook in a pocket of his jacket until early December, but he doesn't remember when and where he lost the item because he failed to check on his belongings every day as all policemen are required to do.
"I thought my police handbook was inside my office desk, but it wasn't. I don't recall what happened (when I lost the handbook) and have no idea about the details."
Prefectural police issued an order to police forces across the nation on Dec. 21 to search for the handbook, but it has not been found yet.
A prefectural police representative said in a statement, "We will once again instruct all employees on the management of their police handbooks in order to prevent a recurrence."
警察手帳：山口県警長府署の巡査長が昨年１２月に紛失
山口県警長府署地域課の３０代の男性巡査長が昨年１２月、警察手帳を紛失していたことが分かった。巡査長は今年５月、本部長訓戒処分を受けたが、県警は公表していなかった。報道機関の指摘を受け３０日発表した。
県警監察官室によると、巡査長は昨年１２月１８日、紛失に気付き上司に報告した。同月上旬には上着のポケットに入れていたが、毎日行うべき携帯品のチェックを怠っており、紛失時の状況について記憶がないという。県警は同月２１日、全国に手配したが、現在も見つかっていない。
巡査長は「職場の机の中にあると思ったがなかった。当時の記憶はなく詳細は分からない」と話しているという。
藤井文雄・監察官室長は「全職員に改めて警察手帳の保管・管理について指導し、再発防止の徹底を図る」とのコメントを発表した。【藤沢美由紀】
Mainichi Newspaper
July 1, 2008
The announcement came on Monday after news organizations pointed out that Yamaguchi Prefectural Police had not disclosed that the policeman was reprimanded in May.
According to police, a senior policeman in his 30s at the Yamaguchi Prefectural Police's Chofu Police Station realized that he had lost his police handbook and reported it to his superior on Dec. 18 last year.
The senior policeman was quoted as telling police that he remembers having had the handbook in a pocket of his jacket until early December, but he doesn't remember when and where he lost the item because he failed to check on his belongings every day as all policemen are required to do.
"I thought my police handbook was inside my office desk, but it wasn't. I don't recall what happened (when I lost the handbook) and have no idea about the details."
Prefectural police issued an order to police forces across the nation on Dec. 21 to search for the handbook, but it has not been found yet.
A prefectural police representative said in a statement, "We will once again instruct all employees on the management of their police handbooks in order to prevent a recurrence."
警察手帳：山口県警長府署の巡査長が昨年１２月に紛失
山口県警長府署地域課の３０代の男性巡査長が昨年１２月、警察手帳を紛失していたことが分かった。巡査長は今年５月、本部長訓戒処分を受けたが、県警は公表していなかった。報道機関の指摘を受け３０日発表した。
県警監察官室によると、巡査長は昨年１２月１８日、紛失に気付き上司に報告した。同月上旬には上着のポケットに入れていたが、毎日行うべき携帯品のチェックを怠っており、紛失時の状況について記憶がないという。県警は同月２１日、全国に手配したが、現在も見つかっていない。
巡査長は「職場の机の中にあると思ったがなかった。当時の記憶はなく詳細は分からない」と話しているという。
藤井文雄・監察官室長は「全職員に改めて警察手帳の保管・管理について指導し、再発防止の徹底を図る」とのコメントを発表した。【藤沢美由紀】
Mainichi Newspaper
July 1, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Cop arrested for molesting woman he called out to interrogate
TOCHIGI, Tochigi -- A police assistant inspector who molested a woman he asked to come in for questioning has been arrested, police said.
Tomohiro Kamioka, 51, the assistant inspector from the Tochigi Police Station, was arrested for abuse by a special public officer.
Kamioka admits to meeting alone with the woman who accuses him of indecently assaulting her, but denies the allegations against him.
Yasuo Yamate, a spokesman for the Tochigi Prefectural Police, expressed regret.
"It's a shame a police officer supposed to be protecting everyone's safety has caused an incident like this. We offer a heartfelt apology to the woman, her associates and the people of the prefecture," he said.
Police said that during the middle of March Kamioka twice called out for questioning the woman in her 30s from Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture, and performed sex acts on her while parked in her car in the parking lot of an Ashikaga supermarket.
The alleged victim filed a criminal complaint with the police on March 26.
Kamioka was off duty on both occasions he met the woman.
任意で事情聴取した女性を深夜に呼び出し、みだらな行為をしたとして、栃木県警監察課は１７日、栃木署刑事１課の警部補、上岡友洋容疑者（５１）＝下野市緑５＝を特別公務員暴行陵虐容疑で逮捕した。上岡容疑者は女性と２人で会ったことは認めているが、行為は否認しているという。
調べでは、上岡容疑者は足利署刑事１課に所属していた３月中旬、捜査で事情聴取した足利市内に住む３０代の女性を２度にわたり同市内のスーパー駐車場に呼び出し、女性の軽乗用車内でみだらな行為をした疑い。女性が同２６日に同署へ届け出た。上岡容疑者が女性と会ったのは２回とも勤務時間外だった。
山手康男・警務部長は「皆様の安全を守る立場の警察官がこのような事件を引き起こし誠に遺憾。女性とその関係者、県民の皆様に心からおわび申し上げます」と話した。【山下俊輔】
Mainichi Newspaper
June 18th, 2008
Tomohiro Kamioka, 51, the assistant inspector from the Tochigi Police Station, was arrested for abuse by a special public officer.
Kamioka admits to meeting alone with the woman who accuses him of indecently assaulting her, but denies the allegations against him.
Yasuo Yamate, a spokesman for the Tochigi Prefectural Police, expressed regret.
"It's a shame a police officer supposed to be protecting everyone's safety has caused an incident like this. We offer a heartfelt apology to the woman, her associates and the people of the prefecture," he said.
Police said that during the middle of March Kamioka twice called out for questioning the woman in her 30s from Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture, and performed sex acts on her while parked in her car in the parking lot of an Ashikaga supermarket.
The alleged victim filed a criminal complaint with the police on March 26.
Kamioka was off duty on both occasions he met the woman.
任意で事情聴取した女性を深夜に呼び出し、みだらな行為をしたとして、栃木県警監察課は１７日、栃木署刑事１課の警部補、上岡友洋容疑者（５１）＝下野市緑５＝を特別公務員暴行陵虐容疑で逮捕した。上岡容疑者は女性と２人で会ったことは認めているが、行為は否認しているという。
調べでは、上岡容疑者は足利署刑事１課に所属していた３月中旬、捜査で事情聴取した足利市内に住む３０代の女性を２度にわたり同市内のスーパー駐車場に呼び出し、女性の軽乗用車内でみだらな行為をした疑い。女性が同２６日に同署へ届け出た。上岡容疑者が女性と会ったのは２回とも勤務時間外だった。
山手康男・警務部長は「皆様の安全を守る立場の警察官がこのような事件を引き起こし誠に遺憾。女性とその関係者、県民の皆様に心からおわび申し上げます」と話した。【山下俊輔】
Mainichi Newspaper
June 18th, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Tokyo cop collared for sneaking into women's restroom at park
Tokyo cop collared for sneaking into women's restroom at park
ICHIHARA, Chiba -- A Tokyo police officer faces charges for sneaking into a women's restroom at a park here, police said.
Chiba Prefectural Police reported the 45-year-old sergeant with the Metropolitan Police Department to prosecutors, accusing him of trespassing. He admitted to the allegations during questioning.
The sergeant followed two junior high school girls into a women's room at Ichihara Ryokuchi Sports Park in Ichihara at around 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 23, according to investigators. When the girls noticed him, he showed his police ID and identified himself before leaving the scene.
Police believe the officer was trying to pass himself off as on official duties. The incident came to light after the junior high school girls reported him to a local police station.
建造物侵入：公園の女子トイレに忍び込む 警官を書類送検
のぞき目的で公園の公衆トイレに忍び込んだとして、千葉県警市原署は６日、警視庁上野署警務課の男性巡査部長（４５）を建造物侵入容疑で千葉地検に書類送致した。容疑を認めている。
調べでは、巡査部長は２月２３日午後１時半ごろ、市原市岩崎の市原緑地運動公園の女子トイレに、女子中学生２人の後を追って侵入した疑い。
直後に中学生に見つかったため、警察手帳を示したうえで名前や所属を言って立ち去ったが、不審に思った中学生が市原署に通報した。警察手帳を示すことで、捜査を装ったとみられる。【寺田剛】
Mainichi Newspaper
June 7th, 2008
ICHIHARA, Chiba -- A Tokyo police officer faces charges for sneaking into a women's restroom at a park here, police said.
Chiba Prefectural Police reported the 45-year-old sergeant with the Metropolitan Police Department to prosecutors, accusing him of trespassing. He admitted to the allegations during questioning.
The sergeant followed two junior high school girls into a women's room at Ichihara Ryokuchi Sports Park in Ichihara at around 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 23, according to investigators. When the girls noticed him, he showed his police ID and identified himself before leaving the scene.
Police believe the officer was trying to pass himself off as on official duties. The incident came to light after the junior high school girls reported him to a local police station.
建造物侵入：公園の女子トイレに忍び込む 警官を書類送検
のぞき目的で公園の公衆トイレに忍び込んだとして、千葉県警市原署は６日、警視庁上野署警務課の男性巡査部長（４５）を建造物侵入容疑で千葉地検に書類送致した。容疑を認めている。
調べでは、巡査部長は２月２３日午後１時半ごろ、市原市岩崎の市原緑地運動公園の女子トイレに、女子中学生２人の後を追って侵入した疑い。
直後に中学生に見つかったため、警察手帳を示したうえで名前や所属を言って立ち去ったが、不審に思った中学生が市原署に通報した。警察手帳を示すことで、捜査を装ったとみられる。【寺田剛】
Mainichi Newspaper
June 7th, 2008
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Police officer faces charges over train groping incident
YOKOHAMA -- A police officer who molested a woman on a train and then ran away down the tracks back in April is now facing charges.
Kanagawa Prefectural Police reported the 27-year-old sergeant to prosecutors, accusing him of violating a prefectural public nuisance ordinance. He has admitted to the allegations.
The officer, whose name was not immediately disclosed, resigned after he was slapped with a one-month suspension from duty.
The sergeant fondled the buttocks of a 31-year-old woman from Yokohama on a JR Yokohama Line train at around 7 p.m. on April 15, prefectural police said.
The woman grabbed his arm and forced off the train at Tokaichiba Station. However, the officer jumped onto the tracks and ran about 200 meters before getting back onto the road and hailing a taxi, according to investigators.
He later told his superior that he had been mistaken for a groper, but later admitted to being the culprit.
痴漢：警官が電車内で 線路上を逃走し送検・処分 神奈川
神奈川県警監察官室は６日、電車内で痴漢をした後、線路上を走って逃げたとして、県警組織犯罪分析課の男性巡査部長（２７）を県迷惑防止条例違反容疑などで横浜地検へ書類送検し、停職１カ月の懲戒処分とした。巡査部長は同日付で依願退職した。
調べでは、巡査部長は４月１５日午後７時ごろ、ＪＲ横浜線鴨居－十日市場間を走行中の普通電車内で、横浜市のアルバイト女性（３１）の尻を触った疑い。女性に手をつかまれ十日市場駅で降ろされたが、巡査部長は手を振りほどき線路に降りて約２００メートル逃走。フェンスを乗り越えタクシーで帰宅したという。その後、上司に「痴漢に間違われた」と虚偽の相談をしていた。
女性が駅員を通じて県警に通報していたため発覚。巡査部長は「女性の尻に手の甲が当たり触りたいと思ってしまった」と容疑を認めているという。【鈴木一生】
Mainichi Newspaper
June 7th, 2008
Kanagawa Prefectural Police reported the 27-year-old sergeant to prosecutors, accusing him of violating a prefectural public nuisance ordinance. He has admitted to the allegations.
The officer, whose name was not immediately disclosed, resigned after he was slapped with a one-month suspension from duty.
The sergeant fondled the buttocks of a 31-year-old woman from Yokohama on a JR Yokohama Line train at around 7 p.m. on April 15, prefectural police said.
The woman grabbed his arm and forced off the train at Tokaichiba Station. However, the officer jumped onto the tracks and ran about 200 meters before getting back onto the road and hailing a taxi, according to investigators.
He later told his superior that he had been mistaken for a groper, but later admitted to being the culprit.
痴漢：警官が電車内で 線路上を逃走し送検・処分 神奈川
神奈川県警監察官室は６日、電車内で痴漢をした後、線路上を走って逃げたとして、県警組織犯罪分析課の男性巡査部長（２７）を県迷惑防止条例違反容疑などで横浜地検へ書類送検し、停職１カ月の懲戒処分とした。巡査部長は同日付で依願退職した。
調べでは、巡査部長は４月１５日午後７時ごろ、ＪＲ横浜線鴨居－十日市場間を走行中の普通電車内で、横浜市のアルバイト女性（３１）の尻を触った疑い。女性に手をつかまれ十日市場駅で降ろされたが、巡査部長は手を振りほどき線路に降りて約２００メートル逃走。フェンスを乗り越えタクシーで帰宅したという。その後、上司に「痴漢に間違われた」と虚偽の相談をしていた。
女性が駅員を通じて県警に通報していたため発覚。巡査部長は「女性の尻に手の甲が当たり触りたいと思ってしまった」と容疑を認めているという。【鈴木一生】
Mainichi Newspaper
June 7th, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
4 men assault two police investigators, rob one of his ID
CHIKUSHINO, Fukuoka -- Four men threatened two police investigators with a gun, bashed one of them and robbed the other of his ID in the predawn hours of Thursday, police said.
Local police are searching for the four men, suspecting that they are yakuza, on suspicion of robbery and of obstructing officers from performing their official duties.
The incident occurred at a parking lot in Chikushino early Thursday when a 47-year-old assistant inspector and a 31-year-old sergeant were investigating an incident in which a yakuza organization illegally sold paint thinner for sniffing, according to investigators.
The two investigators approached an unmanned car belonging to one of the targets of their investigation at around 3:15 a.m. when four men wearing balaclavas suddenly got out of another vehicle parked nearby, prefectural police said.
One of them threatened the officers with a gun and asked, "Are you members of the Kyushu Seido-kai (gang)?"
The assistant inspector showed his ID saying, "We're police officers." One of them snatched the ID and another hit the sergeant with a steel bar before they fled, investigators said.
The sergeant suffered minor injuries to his left elbow. The investigators were not carrying their guns at the time.
The parking lot where the officers were assaulted is located in a residential area near Haruda Station on the JR Kagoshima Line.
警察手帳：捜査中の警察官、４人組に奪われる 福岡
５日午前３時１５分ごろ、福岡県筑紫野市原田（はるだ）６のＪＲ鹿児島線原田駅近くの駐車場で、捜査中だった県警少年課の警部補（４７）と巡査部長（３１）に、男４人組が拳銃のようなものを突き付け「どこの組の者か」と脅し、警部補の警察手帳を奪って逃げた。巡査部長は鉄パイプで殴られ軽傷。筑紫野署は抗争中の指定暴力団道仁会関係者の可能性もあるとみて、強盗と公務執行妨害容疑で４人の行方を追っている。警察官２人はいずれも私服で、拳銃は所持していなかったという。
同署などによると、警察官２人は暴力団が絡むシンナー密売事件の捜査中。現場の駐車場内に、捜査対象だった無人の乗用車が止まっていたため、中を確認しようと近づいたところ、近くに止まっていた別の乗用車から、目出し帽をかぶりパイプを持った４人が出てきたという。
警察官２人は逃げようとしたが、警部補は駐車場内で転倒。男１人に馬乗りされ、別の男から頭に拳銃のようなものを突き付けられた。「警察だ」と言うと、男からズボンのポケットの手帳を奪われたという。その間に巡査部長も近くの別の駐車場で別の２人に同様に拳銃のようなものを突き付けられ鉄パイプで左腕などを殴られた。手帳はひもでズボンの腰につなげてあったが、固定用のクリップを外されたらしい。
警察官２人は男たちに「走って逃げろ。もう行け」と言われ現場から離れた。４人組は捜査対象だった乗用車と別の乗用車の２台に分乗して逃走したとみられる。現場は原田駅近くの住宅街の一角。
Mainichi Newspaper
June 5, 2008
Local police are searching for the four men, suspecting that they are yakuza, on suspicion of robbery and of obstructing officers from performing their official duties.
The incident occurred at a parking lot in Chikushino early Thursday when a 47-year-old assistant inspector and a 31-year-old sergeant were investigating an incident in which a yakuza organization illegally sold paint thinner for sniffing, according to investigators.
The two investigators approached an unmanned car belonging to one of the targets of their investigation at around 3:15 a.m. when four men wearing balaclavas suddenly got out of another vehicle parked nearby, prefectural police said.
One of them threatened the officers with a gun and asked, "Are you members of the Kyushu Seido-kai (gang)?"
The assistant inspector showed his ID saying, "We're police officers." One of them snatched the ID and another hit the sergeant with a steel bar before they fled, investigators said.
The sergeant suffered minor injuries to his left elbow. The investigators were not carrying their guns at the time.
The parking lot where the officers were assaulted is located in a residential area near Haruda Station on the JR Kagoshima Line.
警察手帳：捜査中の警察官、４人組に奪われる 福岡
５日午前３時１５分ごろ、福岡県筑紫野市原田（はるだ）６のＪＲ鹿児島線原田駅近くの駐車場で、捜査中だった県警少年課の警部補（４７）と巡査部長（３１）に、男４人組が拳銃のようなものを突き付け「どこの組の者か」と脅し、警部補の警察手帳を奪って逃げた。巡査部長は鉄パイプで殴られ軽傷。筑紫野署は抗争中の指定暴力団道仁会関係者の可能性もあるとみて、強盗と公務執行妨害容疑で４人の行方を追っている。警察官２人はいずれも私服で、拳銃は所持していなかったという。
同署などによると、警察官２人は暴力団が絡むシンナー密売事件の捜査中。現場の駐車場内に、捜査対象だった無人の乗用車が止まっていたため、中を確認しようと近づいたところ、近くに止まっていた別の乗用車から、目出し帽をかぶりパイプを持った４人が出てきたという。
警察官２人は逃げようとしたが、警部補は駐車場内で転倒。男１人に馬乗りされ、別の男から頭に拳銃のようなものを突き付けられた。「警察だ」と言うと、男からズボンのポケットの手帳を奪われたという。その間に巡査部長も近くの別の駐車場で別の２人に同様に拳銃のようなものを突き付けられ鉄パイプで左腕などを殴られた。手帳はひもでズボンの腰につなげてあったが、固定用のクリップを外されたらしい。
警察官２人は男たちに「走って逃げろ。もう行け」と言われ現場から離れた。４人組は捜査対象だった乗用車と別の乗用車の２台に分乗して逃走したとみられる。現場は原田駅近くの住宅街の一角。
Mainichi Newspaper
June 5, 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Police officer faces charges for flashing at girl working at convenience store
CHIBA -- A police officer faces charges for flashing his private parts at a high school girl working at a convenience store here last weekend, officials said.
Chiba Prefectural Police are poised to send an investigation report to prosecutors, accusing the officer in his 20s of indecent exposure. He admitted to the allegations during questioning.
The officer exposed his private parts to the 17-year-old girl, who works at the convenience store, on its premises in Tako, Chiba Prefecture, on Saturday evening while he was off duty, the force's inspection office said.
Alerted by the store, local police launched an investigation into the case. Investigators tracked him down from the license plate number of the car he drove to the store.
公然わいせつ：警官が露出容疑…千葉県警、書類送検へ
千葉県警の２０代の男性警官がコンビニエンスストアで下半身を露出したとして、県警が公然わいせつ容疑で任意で事情聴取していることが２日分かった。県警はこの警官を書類送検する方針。
県警監察官室によると警官は５月３１日夕、同県多古町のコンビニエンスストアの敷地内で、アルバイト店員の女子高校生（１７）に下半身を露出して見せた疑い。店外に出てきた女子高校生に「ごみ箱にごみを捨ててもいいか」などと尋ねた後、ズボンを下げた。事実関係を認めているという。
店からの通報で県警香取署が捜査。来店時の車のナンバーなどを基に警官を割り出した。当時は非番で、これまで勤務態度に問題はなかったという。【寺田剛】
Mainichi Newspaper
June 3, 2008
Chiba Prefectural Police are poised to send an investigation report to prosecutors, accusing the officer in his 20s of indecent exposure. He admitted to the allegations during questioning.
The officer exposed his private parts to the 17-year-old girl, who works at the convenience store, on its premises in Tako, Chiba Prefecture, on Saturday evening while he was off duty, the force's inspection office said.
Alerted by the store, local police launched an investigation into the case. Investigators tracked him down from the license plate number of the car he drove to the store.
公然わいせつ：警官が露出容疑…千葉県警、書類送検へ
千葉県警の２０代の男性警官がコンビニエンスストアで下半身を露出したとして、県警が公然わいせつ容疑で任意で事情聴取していることが２日分かった。県警はこの警官を書類送検する方針。
県警監察官室によると警官は５月３１日夕、同県多古町のコンビニエンスストアの敷地内で、アルバイト店員の女子高校生（１７）に下半身を露出して見せた疑い。店外に出てきた女子高校生に「ごみ箱にごみを捨ててもいいか」などと尋ねた後、ズボンを下げた。事実関係を認めているという。
店からの通報で県警香取署が捜査。来店時の車のナンバーなどを基に警官を割り出した。当時は非番で、これまで勤務態度に問題はなかったという。【寺田剛】
Mainichi Newspaper
June 3, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Cop slashed by attacker outside Chinese Embassy in Tokyo
A police officer on duty in front of the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo was slashed in the jaw by a man wielding a paper cutter on Friday, law enforcers said.
The 25-year-old senior policeman, a riot unit member, was on guard in front of the embassy in Tokyo's Minato-ku at about 3:10 p.m. on Friday, when a man who approached him suddenly slashed his jaw with a small paper cutter.
The assailant was apprehended by another riot unit member and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and obstructing officials from carrying out their duties. The officer was taken to a hospital where he was treated for a light 5-centimeter cut below his jaw.
Police said the 52-year-old attacker had been receiving regular hospital treatment for schizophrenia. A day before the attack he had reportedly disappeared from a facility that had been looking after him in Kodaira, Tokyo.
The area where the attack occurred was about 500 meters south of Tokyo's Roppongi Hills venue.
ナイフ男：中国大使館前で機動隊員切られけが 容疑者逮捕
２３日午後３時１０分ごろ、東京都港区元麻布３の中国大使館通用門前で、警戒中の警視庁第７機動隊の男性巡査（２５）が、近付いてきた男にいきなり小型のカッターナイフであご付近を切られた。男は警戒中の機動隊員２人に取り押さえられ、殺人未遂と公務執行妨害容疑で現行犯逮捕された。巡査はあごの下を約１０センチほど切られる軽傷。
麻布署によると、逮捕されたのは５２歳の無職の男で統合失調症で通院中だった。救護施設（小平市）に住んでいたが、２２日午後から行方が分からなくなり、捜索願が出ていた。調べに「警察官になりたかったが、なれなかったので恨んでいた。殺せ、殺せという指令があった」などと意味不明なことを話しているという。
警視庁によると、男は歩いて巡査に近づき切りつけた。事件当時、大使館周辺は通常の警備体制で、数十人規模の警察官が正門や通用門前などの警戒を続けていた。通用門は巡査が１人で立っていた。
近くのマンションの男性（７１）は「怒鳴り声が聞こえたので外を見たら、白いシャツの男が１０人ぐらいの警察官に路上で取り押さえられていた。顔と頭に包帯を巻いた警察官が救急車で運ばれていった」と話した。
現場は、六本木ヒルズの南約５００メートルのテレビ朝日通りに面した場所。近くには寺や小学校、私立麻布高校がある。【佐々木洋、古関俊樹、村上尊一】
Mainichi Newspaper
May 23, 2008
The 25-year-old senior policeman, a riot unit member, was on guard in front of the embassy in Tokyo's Minato-ku at about 3:10 p.m. on Friday, when a man who approached him suddenly slashed his jaw with a small paper cutter.
The assailant was apprehended by another riot unit member and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and obstructing officials from carrying out their duties. The officer was taken to a hospital where he was treated for a light 5-centimeter cut below his jaw.
Police said the 52-year-old attacker had been receiving regular hospital treatment for schizophrenia. A day before the attack he had reportedly disappeared from a facility that had been looking after him in Kodaira, Tokyo.
The area where the attack occurred was about 500 meters south of Tokyo's Roppongi Hills venue.
ナイフ男：中国大使館前で機動隊員切られけが 容疑者逮捕
２３日午後３時１０分ごろ、東京都港区元麻布３の中国大使館通用門前で、警戒中の警視庁第７機動隊の男性巡査（２５）が、近付いてきた男にいきなり小型のカッターナイフであご付近を切られた。男は警戒中の機動隊員２人に取り押さえられ、殺人未遂と公務執行妨害容疑で現行犯逮捕された。巡査はあごの下を約１０センチほど切られる軽傷。
麻布署によると、逮捕されたのは５２歳の無職の男で統合失調症で通院中だった。救護施設（小平市）に住んでいたが、２２日午後から行方が分からなくなり、捜索願が出ていた。調べに「警察官になりたかったが、なれなかったので恨んでいた。殺せ、殺せという指令があった」などと意味不明なことを話しているという。
警視庁によると、男は歩いて巡査に近づき切りつけた。事件当時、大使館周辺は通常の警備体制で、数十人規模の警察官が正門や通用門前などの警戒を続けていた。通用門は巡査が１人で立っていた。
近くのマンションの男性（７１）は「怒鳴り声が聞こえたので外を見たら、白いシャツの男が１０人ぐらいの警察官に路上で取り押さえられていた。顔と頭に包帯を巻いた警察官が救急車で運ばれていった」と話した。
現場は、六本木ヒルズの南約５００メートルのテレビ朝日通りに面した場所。近くには寺や小学校、私立麻布高校がある。【佐々木洋、古関俊樹、村上尊一】
Mainichi Newspaper
May 23, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Cop dies after plunging 9 meters from police station
A Tokyo police officer died after falling nine meters from a fifth-floor window at the station where he worked, police said.
Local police are investigating the case, suspecting that the officer, a 53-year-old sergeant at Itabashi Police Station in Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, may have committed suicide. No suicide note has been found.
At around 1:40 p.m. on Monday, the sergeant fell from the window of a changing room on the fifth floor of Itabashi Police Station onto a concrete eave about nine meters below, investigators said.
He was rushed to a hospital where he was confirmed dead about four hours later.
転落死：巡査部長、飛び降り自殺か 警視庁板橋署
１９日午後１時４０分ごろ東京都板橋区板橋２の警視庁板橋署で、同署地域課の男性巡査部長（５３）が５階更衣室の窓から約９メートル下のコンクリート製のひさしに転落した。巡査部長は全身を強く打ち、約４時間後に死亡が確認された。板橋署は飛び降り自殺を図った可能性もあるとみて調べている。
調べでは巡査部長は交番勤務で、１９日は午後２時から泊まり勤務だった。更衣室で制服に着替えた直後に転落したとみられる。拳銃など装備品は身につけておらず、靴は自分のロッカーの前に置いてあった。遺書は見つかっていない。更衣室の窓は換気のため開けていたという。【村上尊一】
Mainichi Newspaper
May 19, 2008
Local police are investigating the case, suspecting that the officer, a 53-year-old sergeant at Itabashi Police Station in Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, may have committed suicide. No suicide note has been found.
At around 1:40 p.m. on Monday, the sergeant fell from the window of a changing room on the fifth floor of Itabashi Police Station onto a concrete eave about nine meters below, investigators said.
He was rushed to a hospital where he was confirmed dead about four hours later.
転落死：巡査部長、飛び降り自殺か 警視庁板橋署
１９日午後１時４０分ごろ東京都板橋区板橋２の警視庁板橋署で、同署地域課の男性巡査部長（５３）が５階更衣室の窓から約９メートル下のコンクリート製のひさしに転落した。巡査部長は全身を強く打ち、約４時間後に死亡が確認された。板橋署は飛び降り自殺を図った可能性もあるとみて調べている。
調べでは巡査部長は交番勤務で、１９日は午後２時から泊まり勤務だった。更衣室で制服に着替えた直後に転落したとみられる。拳銃など装備品は身につけておらず、靴は自分のロッカーの前に置いてあった。遺書は見つかっていない。更衣室の窓は換気のため開けていたという。【村上尊一】
Mainichi Newspaper
May 19, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Fukuoka police officer arrested for involvement in child prostitution
FUKUOKA -- A Fukuoka Prefectural Police officer has been arrested for his role in child prostitution, becoming the fifth officer in the force to be apprehended over the past year, police officials said.
Hideaki Maeoka, 56, a sergeant, stands accused of violating the Anti-Prostitution Law and the Child Welfare Law. He is the third Fukuoka police officer to be arrested since the beginning of this year.
Maeoka conspired with Eriko Ishimatsu, 45, a sex shop owner, to introduce a 17-year-old girl to a 64-year-old man for prostitution in November last year, investigators allege. He denied the allegations during questioning.
"I was told she was 18 years old. I told her not to perform prostitution," Maeoka was quoted as telling investigators.
However, prefectural police suspect that Maeoka worked at Ishimatsu's sex shop as a telephone operator and the driver of a car to dispatch and pick up sex workers belonging to the shop.
福岡県警は１８日、通称「デリヘル」と呼ばれる無店舗型性風俗店の業務に関わり、少女に売春させていたとして、同県警戸畑署地域課巡査部長の前岡秀昭容疑者（５６）＝北九州市八幡西区清納＝を売春防止法違反、児童福祉法違反容疑で逮捕した。今年に入って同県警の警官の逮捕は３人目。
調べでは、前岡容疑者は知人の北九州市戸畑区初音町、元無店舗型性風俗店経営、石松江利子容疑者（４５）＝同容疑で逮捕＝らと共謀し、１１月６日、北九州市八幡西区のホテルで同市の無職少女（１７）に客の男性（６４）と性交させた疑い。業務に関わったことは認めているが「１８歳だと聞いていた。売春はするなと言っていた」と否認している。
石松容疑者との関係については「食事をするだけの友人」と供述。店では偽名を使い、非番や休みに事務所の電話番や店の女性の送迎をしていたらしい。無職少女の面接は前岡容疑者がしたという。
前岡容疑者は１９７２年に県警に採用され、ほとんど地域課に従事し０４年８月から戸畑署の自動車警ら係。過去に業務功労で本部長賞を３回受けていた。会見した駒走博志県警警務部長は「警官として恥ずかしく、あるまじき行為。不祥事が続いており、県警を挙げて防止対策を詰めたい」と陳謝した。
Mainichi Newspaper
May 19, 2008
Hideaki Maeoka, 56, a sergeant, stands accused of violating the Anti-Prostitution Law and the Child Welfare Law. He is the third Fukuoka police officer to be arrested since the beginning of this year.
Maeoka conspired with Eriko Ishimatsu, 45, a sex shop owner, to introduce a 17-year-old girl to a 64-year-old man for prostitution in November last year, investigators allege. He denied the allegations during questioning.
"I was told she was 18 years old. I told her not to perform prostitution," Maeoka was quoted as telling investigators.
However, prefectural police suspect that Maeoka worked at Ishimatsu's sex shop as a telephone operator and the driver of a car to dispatch and pick up sex workers belonging to the shop.
福岡県警は１８日、通称「デリヘル」と呼ばれる無店舗型性風俗店の業務に関わり、少女に売春させていたとして、同県警戸畑署地域課巡査部長の前岡秀昭容疑者（５６）＝北九州市八幡西区清納＝を売春防止法違反、児童福祉法違反容疑で逮捕した。今年に入って同県警の警官の逮捕は３人目。
調べでは、前岡容疑者は知人の北九州市戸畑区初音町、元無店舗型性風俗店経営、石松江利子容疑者（４５）＝同容疑で逮捕＝らと共謀し、１１月６日、北九州市八幡西区のホテルで同市の無職少女（１７）に客の男性（６４）と性交させた疑い。業務に関わったことは認めているが「１８歳だと聞いていた。売春はするなと言っていた」と否認している。
石松容疑者との関係については「食事をするだけの友人」と供述。店では偽名を使い、非番や休みに事務所の電話番や店の女性の送迎をしていたらしい。無職少女の面接は前岡容疑者がしたという。
前岡容疑者は１９７２年に県警に採用され、ほとんど地域課に従事し０４年８月から戸畑署の自動車警ら係。過去に業務功労で本部長賞を３回受けていた。会見した駒走博志県警警務部長は「警官として恥ずかしく、あるまじき行為。不祥事が続いており、県警を挙げて防止対策を詰めたい」と陳謝した。
Mainichi Newspaper
May 19, 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Cop arrested for trying to buy computer with colleague's credit card
A Tokyo police officer has been arrested for attempting to buy a computer using a colleague's credit card, police said.
Tatsuo Kawamura, 43, a senior officer at Komatsugawa Police Station, admitted to the charge of attempted fraud.
Kawamura stole a colleague's credit card and tried to use it to purchase a laptop computer, priced around 150,000 yen, at an electronics store in Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture, on Feb. 17, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
However, his deception was revealed during a routine credit check.
詐欺未遂：同僚のカードでＰＣ購入図る 容疑の警官逮捕
同僚のクレジットカードを使いパソコンを購入しようとしたとして、警視庁は１６日、小松川署地域課の巡査長、川村辰夫容疑者（４３）＝東京都大田区萩中３＝を詐欺未遂容疑で逮捕した。容疑を認めているという。
調べでは、川村容疑者は今年２月１７日、大阪府泉佐野市内の家電量販店で、以前同じ独身寮に住んでいた警察官のカードを提示。ノートパソコン１台（約１５万円相当）を購入しようとした疑い。川村容疑者はこの日非番だった。クレジット会社から名義の警察官に問い合わせがあり発覚した。
中村格・警務部参事官は「極めて遺憾。捜査を徹底し厳正に対処する」とコメントした。
Mainichi Newspaper
May 17, 2008
Tatsuo Kawamura, 43, a senior officer at Komatsugawa Police Station, admitted to the charge of attempted fraud.
Kawamura stole a colleague's credit card and tried to use it to purchase a laptop computer, priced around 150,000 yen, at an electronics store in Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture, on Feb. 17, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
However, his deception was revealed during a routine credit check.
詐欺未遂：同僚のカードでＰＣ購入図る 容疑の警官逮捕
同僚のクレジットカードを使いパソコンを購入しようとしたとして、警視庁は１６日、小松川署地域課の巡査長、川村辰夫容疑者（４３）＝東京都大田区萩中３＝を詐欺未遂容疑で逮捕した。容疑を認めているという。
調べでは、川村容疑者は今年２月１７日、大阪府泉佐野市内の家電量販店で、以前同じ独身寮に住んでいた警察官のカードを提示。ノートパソコン１台（約１５万円相当）を購入しようとした疑い。川村容疑者はこの日非番だった。クレジット会社から名義の警察官に問い合わせがあり発覚した。
中村格・警務部参事官は「極めて遺憾。捜査を徹底し厳正に対処する」とコメントした。
Mainichi Newspaper
May 17, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Briefly: Man dies from burns at police station
05/13/2008
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
NAGOYA--Police investigators plan to question officers at the Atsuta Police Station here on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death, after an officer loaned a lighter to a man who was being questioned after he doused himself with kerosene.
The 45-year-old man died of burns on Sunday.
Police said hot ash may have fallen from a cigarette onto the victim's fuel-soaked clothes and ignited the fatal fire.(IHT/Asahi: May 13,2008)
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
NAGOYA--Police investigators plan to question officers at the Atsuta Police Station here on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death, after an officer loaned a lighter to a man who was being questioned after he doused himself with kerosene.
The 45-year-old man died of burns on Sunday.
Police said hot ash may have fallen from a cigarette onto the victim's fuel-soaked clothes and ignited the fatal fire.(IHT/Asahi: May 13,2008)
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Hiroshima cop arrested for failed snatch-and-grab
HIROSHIMA -- A Hiroshima Prefectural Police senior policeman who tried to snatch a woman's handbag from her as she walked along the streets has been arrested, police said.
Kengo Nagata, 25, the policeman, was arrested for attempted theft after he allegedly tried to make a snatch-and-grab on a 24-year-old woman in Hiroshima on Monday.
Police said Nagata rode up behind the woman on his bicycle and snatched at her handbag with the intent of stealing it from her. The bag's strap snapped, however, and he fled without picking it up.
窃盗未遂：２５歳巡査長逮捕 広島
広島県警広島中央署は５日、広島東署特別警ら隊巡査長の永田健剛容疑者（２５）＝広島市中区＝を窃盗未遂容疑で逮捕した。
調べでは、永田容疑者は５日午前４時４０分ごろ、広島市中区の歩道を歩いていた女性（２４）が持っていた手提げかばんを、自転車で追い抜きざまに引ったくろうとした疑い。かばんの持ち手が切れたため、取らずに逃走した。自動車警ら隊員が近くで自転車に乗っているところを発見した。【矢追健介】
Mainichi Newspaper
May 5, 2008
Police found him riding his bicycle near the scene and arrested him.
Kengo Nagata, 25, the policeman, was arrested for attempted theft after he allegedly tried to make a snatch-and-grab on a 24-year-old woman in Hiroshima on Monday.
Police said Nagata rode up behind the woman on his bicycle and snatched at her handbag with the intent of stealing it from her. The bag's strap snapped, however, and he fled without picking it up.
窃盗未遂：２５歳巡査長逮捕 広島
広島県警広島中央署は５日、広島東署特別警ら隊巡査長の永田健剛容疑者（２５）＝広島市中区＝を窃盗未遂容疑で逮捕した。
調べでは、永田容疑者は５日午前４時４０分ごろ、広島市中区の歩道を歩いていた女性（２４）が持っていた手提げかばんを、自転車で追い抜きざまに引ったくろうとした疑い。かばんの持ち手が切れたため、取らずに逃走した。自動車警ら隊員が近くで自転車に乗っているところを発見した。【矢追健介】
Mainichi Newspaper
May 5, 2008
Police found him riding his bicycle near the scene and arrested him.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Riot squad cop commits suicide in Narita Airport toilet
NARITA -- A Chiba Prefectural Police officer fatally shot himself with his service revolver in a toilet at Narita Airport, police said.
Nobuyuki Matsui, a 25-year-old riot squad police officer stationed at Narita, was found dead by an assistant police inspector just before 1 p.m. Friday after he had shot himself in the head.
Matsui did not leave a suicide note.
Police are continuing to investigate the details behind the policeman's death.
拳銃自殺：成田空港巡査がトイレで死亡
２５日午後０時５５分ごろ、成田国際空港内の警備拠点、十余三（とよみ）事務所のトイレで、千葉県警成田国際空港警備隊第５空港機動隊の松井伸幸巡査（２５）が拳銃で頭を撃って死亡しているのを上司の男性警部補（３３）が発見した。県警監察官室と成田空港署は、松井巡査が自殺を図ったとみて調べている。遺書は見つかっていない。
調べでは、松井巡査は同日午前８時半に普段通り出勤し、勤務していた。午後０時４７分ごろ、上司に「トイレに行く」と言い残し、事務所に隣接するトイレに向かった。５分以上たっても戻らないため上司が見に行くと、個室内で、貸与された拳銃で右こめかみを撃って倒れていた。弾倉には全５発のうち４発が残っていた。
松井巡査は今月１日付で栃木県警から出向し、同隊に配属された。最近の勤務態度に異状はなかったという。同警備隊の岡田英男隊長は「残念であり誠に遺憾。今後このようなことのないように努めたい」とコメントした。【寺田剛、駒木智一】
Mainichi Newspaper
April 26, 2008
Nobuyuki Matsui, a 25-year-old riot squad police officer stationed at Narita, was found dead by an assistant police inspector just before 1 p.m. Friday after he had shot himself in the head.
Matsui did not leave a suicide note.
Police are continuing to investigate the details behind the policeman's death.
拳銃自殺：成田空港巡査がトイレで死亡
２５日午後０時５５分ごろ、成田国際空港内の警備拠点、十余三（とよみ）事務所のトイレで、千葉県警成田国際空港警備隊第５空港機動隊の松井伸幸巡査（２５）が拳銃で頭を撃って死亡しているのを上司の男性警部補（３３）が発見した。県警監察官室と成田空港署は、松井巡査が自殺を図ったとみて調べている。遺書は見つかっていない。
調べでは、松井巡査は同日午前８時半に普段通り出勤し、勤務していた。午後０時４７分ごろ、上司に「トイレに行く」と言い残し、事務所に隣接するトイレに向かった。５分以上たっても戻らないため上司が見に行くと、個室内で、貸与された拳銃で右こめかみを撃って倒れていた。弾倉には全５発のうち４発が残っていた。
松井巡査は今月１日付で栃木県警から出向し、同隊に配属された。最近の勤務態度に異状はなかったという。同警備隊の岡田英男隊長は「残念であり誠に遺憾。今後このようなことのないように努めたい」とコメントした。【寺田剛、駒木智一】
Mainichi Newspaper
April 26, 2008
Cop faces charges for letting off teen bully to cover up own misdeeds
ODAWARA, Kanagawa -- A police officer faces charges for failing to arrest a teenager he knew had bullied another kid into giving him a game console because the officer did not want it known that he sold the toy on, police said.
Police said documents accusing the 29-year-old policeman with harboring a criminal would be sent to the Yokohama District Public Prosecutors Office.
The police officer admits to the allegations.
"I didn't want anybody to know what I'd done, so I kept it quiet. The bully told me he had no money and I figured he might do something worse to get cash, so I sold the game console for him," the officer said.
Police said that while serving in a police box in February last year, a now 16-year-old boy the officer had known for some time brought a video game console and games to the officer, who sold the equipment to a secondhand outlet. About three hours later, somebody filed a complaint at the police box that a bully had forcibly taken a video game console and software from them.
The officer realized what had happened and asked the first youth if he was responsible. Despite admitting that he was, the officer did not arrest him. Instead, he went to the secondhand store and bought back the game with his own money, but never returned the console to the original owner.
The incident was exposed after the first youth was arrested in a separate case in November last year, and during the course of investigation told police about what the officer had done.
犯人隠避：神奈川・小田原署の巡査を送検
恐喝行為を認めた顔見知りの無職少年（１６）を逮捕しなかったとして、神奈川県警は２５日、小田原署地域課の男性巡査（２９）を犯人隠避容疑などで横浜地検へ書類送検した。巡査は、少年が脅し取った携帯ゲーム機とは知らない段階で、少年から頼まれて勤務中に中古店へ売却しており、「後ろめたくて誰にも言えなかった。『お金がない』と言うので、別の悪さをすると思い売ってしまった」と供述しているという。
県警監察官室の調べでは、巡査は相模原南署の交番勤務だった０７年２月、当時中学３年の少年が持ち込んだゲーム機とソフト１本を交番近くの中古店で売却。ところが約３時間後、交番に「ゲーム機を脅し取られた」との届け出があり、少年を問いただしたところ、恐喝を認めたという。
ところが、巡査は発覚を恐れ、自費でゲーム機を買い戻したものの、被害者には返却しなかった。少年は同１１月に別件で逮捕され、以前の恐喝について供述し、発覚した。【池田知広】
Mainichi Newspaper
April 26, 2008
Police said documents accusing the 29-year-old policeman with harboring a criminal would be sent to the Yokohama District Public Prosecutors Office.
The police officer admits to the allegations.
"I didn't want anybody to know what I'd done, so I kept it quiet. The bully told me he had no money and I figured he might do something worse to get cash, so I sold the game console for him," the officer said.
Police said that while serving in a police box in February last year, a now 16-year-old boy the officer had known for some time brought a video game console and games to the officer, who sold the equipment to a secondhand outlet. About three hours later, somebody filed a complaint at the police box that a bully had forcibly taken a video game console and software from them.
The officer realized what had happened and asked the first youth if he was responsible. Despite admitting that he was, the officer did not arrest him. Instead, he went to the secondhand store and bought back the game with his own money, but never returned the console to the original owner.
The incident was exposed after the first youth was arrested in a separate case in November last year, and during the course of investigation told police about what the officer had done.
犯人隠避：神奈川・小田原署の巡査を送検
恐喝行為を認めた顔見知りの無職少年（１６）を逮捕しなかったとして、神奈川県警は２５日、小田原署地域課の男性巡査（２９）を犯人隠避容疑などで横浜地検へ書類送検した。巡査は、少年が脅し取った携帯ゲーム機とは知らない段階で、少年から頼まれて勤務中に中古店へ売却しており、「後ろめたくて誰にも言えなかった。『お金がない』と言うので、別の悪さをすると思い売ってしまった」と供述しているという。
県警監察官室の調べでは、巡査は相模原南署の交番勤務だった０７年２月、当時中学３年の少年が持ち込んだゲーム機とソフト１本を交番近くの中古店で売却。ところが約３時間後、交番に「ゲーム機を脅し取られた」との届け出があり、少年を問いただしたところ、恐喝を認めたという。
ところが、巡査は発覚を恐れ、自費でゲーム機を買い戻したものの、被害者には返却しなかった。少年は同１１月に別件で逮捕され、以前の恐喝について供述し、発覚した。【池田知広】
Mainichi Newspaper
April 26, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Police officer with Imperial Guard Headquarters faces theft charges
ABIKO, Chiba -- A police officer belonging to the Imperial Guard Headquarters faces charges for stealing money left at an automatic teller machine (ATM) here, it emerged Thursday.
Local police have sent an investigation report to prosecutors, accusing the 49-year-old sergeant of theft. He resigned at the end of last month after being slapped with a 10 percent wage cut over a six-month period on disciplinary grounds. His name was not immediately disclosed.
In early October, the sergeant stole tens of thousands of yen left at a bank ATM in Abiko, local police said.
皇宮警察警官：ＡＴＭの置き忘れ現金持ち去る…書類送検
銀行の現金自動受払機（ＡＴＭ）に置き忘れてあった現金を持ち去ったとして、千葉県警我孫子署が３月下旬、皇宮警察本部の男性巡査部長（４９）を窃盗容疑で千葉地検松戸支部へ書類送検していたことが２４日、分かった。
調べでは、巡査部長は昨年１０月上旬、同県我孫子市内の銀行のＡＴＭで、前の利用者が置き忘れた現金数万円を持ち去った疑い。銀行から被害届を受けた同署が、防犯カメラの映像をもとに巡査部長を割り出した。
皇宮警察本部は巡査部長を減給６カ月（１０分の１）の懲戒処分とし、巡査部長は今年３月末に依願退職した。
同本部警務課は「このようなことがないよう再発防止を徹底したい」と話している。
【寺田剛】
Mainichi Newspaper
April 24th, 2008
Local police have sent an investigation report to prosecutors, accusing the 49-year-old sergeant of theft. He resigned at the end of last month after being slapped with a 10 percent wage cut over a six-month period on disciplinary grounds. His name was not immediately disclosed.
In early October, the sergeant stole tens of thousands of yen left at a bank ATM in Abiko, local police said.
皇宮警察警官：ＡＴＭの置き忘れ現金持ち去る…書類送検
銀行の現金自動受払機（ＡＴＭ）に置き忘れてあった現金を持ち去ったとして、千葉県警我孫子署が３月下旬、皇宮警察本部の男性巡査部長（４９）を窃盗容疑で千葉地検松戸支部へ書類送検していたことが２４日、分かった。
調べでは、巡査部長は昨年１０月上旬、同県我孫子市内の銀行のＡＴＭで、前の利用者が置き忘れた現金数万円を持ち去った疑い。銀行から被害届を受けた同署が、防犯カメラの映像をもとに巡査部長を割り出した。
皇宮警察本部は巡査部長を減給６カ月（１０分の１）の懲戒処分とし、巡査部長は今年３月末に依願退職した。
同本部警務課は「このようなことがないよう再発防止を徹底したい」と話している。
【寺田剛】
Mainichi Newspaper
April 24th, 2008
Man detained at police station sets fire to futon
GIFU -- A man being detained at a police station here used a lighter he had been hiding to set fire to tissue paper last month, partially burning a futon, prefectural police said.
Local police have recently sent an investigation report to prosecutors, accusing him of damaging property. He had been detained at the detention facility of Gifu Minami Police Station after he was repeatedly arrested for theft and traffic violations.
The inspection division of Gifu Prefectural Police is poised to take steps to prevent a recurrence. "What shouldn't have happened has happened. We'll improve our body checks on detainees in an effort to prevent a recurrence," an official said.
At around 10:15 p.m. on March 1, the 44-year-old man used a cigarette lighter he was hiding to set fire to tissue paper in his detention cell, investigators said. The fire spread to a futon, partially burning it.
In-house regulations ban detainees from bringing cigarette lighters into detention facilities in the prefecture. He was subsequently transferred to Gifu Detention Center.
ボヤ騒ぎ：拘置の男ライター持ち込み 岐阜南署の留置場
窃盗などの罪で起訴された後、岐阜県警岐阜南署の留置場で拘置されていた男（４４）が、留置場にライターを持ち込み、ボヤ騒ぎを起こしていたことが２３日分かった。
県警監察課によると、男は昨年７月から、窃盗や道交法違反の容疑などで何度も逮捕され、起訴後も同署の留置場に拘置されていた。男は３月１日午後１０時１５分ごろ、ひそかに留置場の独房に持ち込んだライターでティシュペーパーに火をつけ、敷布団の一部を焦がした。男は同５日に岐阜拘置所に移送された。同課などは今月１４日、器物損壊容疑で男を岐阜地検に書類送検した。
留置場へのライターの持ち込みは、同県が定めた留置に関する訓令に違反している。同課は入手経路を調べるとともに「あってはならないことが起こった。今後は容疑者の身体検査を徹底するなどして再発防止に努めたい」と説明している。【山田尚弘】
Mainichi Newspaper
April 24, 2008
Local police have recently sent an investigation report to prosecutors, accusing him of damaging property. He had been detained at the detention facility of Gifu Minami Police Station after he was repeatedly arrested for theft and traffic violations.
The inspection division of Gifu Prefectural Police is poised to take steps to prevent a recurrence. "What shouldn't have happened has happened. We'll improve our body checks on detainees in an effort to prevent a recurrence," an official said.
At around 10:15 p.m. on March 1, the 44-year-old man used a cigarette lighter he was hiding to set fire to tissue paper in his detention cell, investigators said. The fire spread to a futon, partially burning it.
In-house regulations ban detainees from bringing cigarette lighters into detention facilities in the prefecture. He was subsequently transferred to Gifu Detention Center.
ボヤ騒ぎ：拘置の男ライター持ち込み 岐阜南署の留置場
窃盗などの罪で起訴された後、岐阜県警岐阜南署の留置場で拘置されていた男（４４）が、留置場にライターを持ち込み、ボヤ騒ぎを起こしていたことが２３日分かった。
県警監察課によると、男は昨年７月から、窃盗や道交法違反の容疑などで何度も逮捕され、起訴後も同署の留置場に拘置されていた。男は３月１日午後１０時１５分ごろ、ひそかに留置場の独房に持ち込んだライターでティシュペーパーに火をつけ、敷布団の一部を焦がした。男は同５日に岐阜拘置所に移送された。同課などは今月１４日、器物損壊容疑で男を岐阜地検に書類送検した。
留置場へのライターの持ち込みは、同県が定めた留置に関する訓令に違反している。同課は入手経路を調べるとともに「あってはならないことが起こった。今後は容疑者の身体検査を徹底するなどして再発防止に努めたい」と説明している。【山田尚弘】
Mainichi Newspaper
April 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
BRIEFLY: Junior high girls abuse officers
04/15/2008
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
KASUKABE, Saitama Prefecture--Three 14-year-old girls were arrested here after they allegedly assaulted a pair of police officers who had admonished them for riding double on their bicycles.
The melee erupted when a police sergeant, 44, stopped two junior high school girls on a bike around 5:10 p.m. Saturday. One of the girls shoved the officer and said, "The cops can't do anything." Her friend then kicked him in the leg, police said.
A second officer was preparing to take the juveniles to a police station when another pair of girls, also riding double, rode up. One of the new arrivals cursed the policeman and spit in his face. The alleged assailant was also arrested.(IHT/Asahi: April 15,2008)
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
KASUKABE, Saitama Prefecture--Three 14-year-old girls were arrested here after they allegedly assaulted a pair of police officers who had admonished them for riding double on their bicycles.
The melee erupted when a police sergeant, 44, stopped two junior high school girls on a bike around 5:10 p.m. Saturday. One of the girls shoved the officer and said, "The cops can't do anything." Her friend then kicked him in the leg, police said.
A second officer was preparing to take the juveniles to a police station when another pair of girls, also riding double, rode up. One of the new arrivals cursed the policeman and spit in his face. The alleged assailant was also arrested.(IHT/Asahi: April 15,2008)
Cops failed to report missing girl's emergency call
Yamanashi Prefectural Police officials who received an emergency call from missing Tokyo teen Kanako Ishida failed to report the plea to their superiors even though they suspected something amiss, police said.
Metropolitan Police Department officials became aware on April 6 that 19-year-old Ishida was in trouble and had called the police emergency number, but had been unable to confirm whether she was in Yamanashi Prefecture at the time she begged for help.
"We thought there may have been some other response we could have taken," a Yamanashi Prefectural Police force official sad.
A top-ranking Yamanashi Prefectural Police official has slammed the handling of the case.
"From the second they learned her name, the operators should have reported the incident to their superiors," the officer said on condition of anonymity.
Yamanashi Prefectural Police officials said Ishida called the emergency line at about midday on April 6, the last day when any sign of her has been confirmed. Her phone call involved only heavy breathing and was cut off after about 20 seconds.
On several occasions, officials at the police emergency control center called back to the phone she used to make the call, finally getting through after several minutes. An operator asked Ishida where she was, but the teen was in a state of extreme agitation and did not specify what trouble she was facing.
The emergency control center has a staff of four. Up until the morning of April 7, officials made several dozen calls to Ishida's mobile phone, but were unable to connect to it. The officials could not make out the details of the case and had no idea which department should handle it, so did not report it to their superiors. All four officials went off duty at 8:30 a.m. on April 7.
Ishida called her mother shortly after noon on April 6, begging for help, so her father called the police in Tokyo.
Investigators obtained Ishida's mobile phone records and determined she had made the call from within Yamanashi Prefecture. On the afternoon of April 7, the MPD contacted Yamanashi Prefectural Police, alerting them to the case for the first time.
Unemployed Tokyo man Naoki Shiono, 26, has been arrested for the illegal confinement of Ishida, who he met through an online matchmaking site. Shiono was the last person confirmed to have met Ishida and he is suspected of knowing something that may lead to her whereabouts.
女性監禁：１１０番上司に報告せず 山梨県警通信指令室
東京都江戸川区の石田佳奈子さん（１９）が男に監禁され行方不明になっている事件で、石田さんが今月６日に携帯電話で１１０番したものの、通報を受けた山梨県警通信指令室の担当者が不審に思いながら上司へ報告していなかったことが１５日、分かった。警視庁は６日に事件を認知したが、石田さんが同県内にいることをすぐに把握できなかったとみられ、県警地域課は「別の対応があったかもしれない」として検証する考えを示した。
同課によると、石田さんからの通報は６日正午ごろ。「はあ、はあ」という息づかいが聞こえ、約２０秒で切れた。指令室が数回かけ直して十数分後につながり、現在地などを尋ねたが、石田さんは非常に興奮した状態で、名前は聞き取れたものの、助けを求める具体的な言葉はなかったという。
指令室には４人おり、翌日午前７時ごろまでの間に数十回、石田さんの携帯電話へかけたが、つながらなかった。４人は「事案の概要がつかめず、担当課がどこになるか分からなかった」との理由で上司に報告せず、同８時半に交代した。
石田さんは６日正午すぎ、母親に携帯電話で「助けて」などと連絡したため、父親が警視庁小松川署へ通報。同庁は石田さんの携帯電話の通話履歴を照会して、山梨県内から１１０番していたことを確認した。県警は７日午後、警視庁から連絡を受けて初めて事態を把握したといい、ある県警幹部は「名前が聞き取れた段階で上に報告すべきだった」と不手際を認めている。【藤野基文、曹美河】
Metropolitan Police Department officials became aware on April 6 that 19-year-old Ishida was in trouble and had called the police emergency number, but had been unable to confirm whether she was in Yamanashi Prefecture at the time she begged for help.
"We thought there may have been some other response we could have taken," a Yamanashi Prefectural Police force official sad.
A top-ranking Yamanashi Prefectural Police official has slammed the handling of the case.
"From the second they learned her name, the operators should have reported the incident to their superiors," the officer said on condition of anonymity.
Yamanashi Prefectural Police officials said Ishida called the emergency line at about midday on April 6, the last day when any sign of her has been confirmed. Her phone call involved only heavy breathing and was cut off after about 20 seconds.
On several occasions, officials at the police emergency control center called back to the phone she used to make the call, finally getting through after several minutes. An operator asked Ishida where she was, but the teen was in a state of extreme agitation and did not specify what trouble she was facing.
The emergency control center has a staff of four. Up until the morning of April 7, officials made several dozen calls to Ishida's mobile phone, but were unable to connect to it. The officials could not make out the details of the case and had no idea which department should handle it, so did not report it to their superiors. All four officials went off duty at 8:30 a.m. on April 7.
Ishida called her mother shortly after noon on April 6, begging for help, so her father called the police in Tokyo.
Investigators obtained Ishida's mobile phone records and determined she had made the call from within Yamanashi Prefecture. On the afternoon of April 7, the MPD contacted Yamanashi Prefectural Police, alerting them to the case for the first time.
Unemployed Tokyo man Naoki Shiono, 26, has been arrested for the illegal confinement of Ishida, who he met through an online matchmaking site. Shiono was the last person confirmed to have met Ishida and he is suspected of knowing something that may lead to her whereabouts.
女性監禁：１１０番上司に報告せず 山梨県警通信指令室
東京都江戸川区の石田佳奈子さん（１９）が男に監禁され行方不明になっている事件で、石田さんが今月６日に携帯電話で１１０番したものの、通報を受けた山梨県警通信指令室の担当者が不審に思いながら上司へ報告していなかったことが１５日、分かった。警視庁は６日に事件を認知したが、石田さんが同県内にいることをすぐに把握できなかったとみられ、県警地域課は「別の対応があったかもしれない」として検証する考えを示した。
同課によると、石田さんからの通報は６日正午ごろ。「はあ、はあ」という息づかいが聞こえ、約２０秒で切れた。指令室が数回かけ直して十数分後につながり、現在地などを尋ねたが、石田さんは非常に興奮した状態で、名前は聞き取れたものの、助けを求める具体的な言葉はなかったという。
指令室には４人おり、翌日午前７時ごろまでの間に数十回、石田さんの携帯電話へかけたが、つながらなかった。４人は「事案の概要がつかめず、担当課がどこになるか分からなかった」との理由で上司に報告せず、同８時半に交代した。
石田さんは６日正午すぎ、母親に携帯電話で「助けて」などと連絡したため、父親が警視庁小松川署へ通報。同庁は石田さんの携帯電話の通話履歴を照会して、山梨県内から１１０番していたことを確認した。県警は７日午後、警視庁から連絡を受けて初めて事態を把握したといい、ある県警幹部は「名前が聞き取れた段階で上に報告すべきだった」と不手際を認めている。【藤野基文、曹美河】
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Cops collar knife-wielding teen planning random murder
TOKONAME, Aichi -- A teenager who went outside armed with a knife, telling an acquaintance he was going to kill someone at random, was arrested after police found him with the weapon at a train station, law enforcers said.
The 19-year-old, whose name has been withheld because he is a minor, was arrested on suspicion of violating the Firearms and Swords Control Law.
"I hate old people and I was feeling irritated, so I left home thinking I was going to kill someone. I brought the knife from home," police quoted the teen as saying.
Police said a man contacted Tokoname Police Station at about 2:10 p.m. on Wednesday, telling them an acquaintance had gone out of the house with a knife saying he was going to kill someone at random.
Law enforcers dispatched a search team of 50, and officers found a man matching the description of the suspect on a platform at Nishinokuchi Station on the Meitetsu Tokoname Line. When they questioned him, they found a knife in his jacket with an 18-centimeter blade, and immediately arrested him.
After receiving the report from the acquaintance, police ordered an elementary and junior high school in the area to shut their gates, and dispatched police officers to keep watch. They also dispatched several police cars and warned residents to be on the alert.
銃刀法違反：「人殺す」と包丁持参、少年逮捕 愛知・常滑
９日午後２時１０分ごろ、男性の声で「（知人が）誰でもいいから殺すと、包丁を持って家を出ていった」と愛知県警常滑署に通報があった。同署が緊急配備し、５０人態勢で周辺を捜索した結果、約３０分後に同県常滑市住吉町４の名鉄常滑線西之口駅ホームで通報内容に似た服装の男を発見した。職務質問したところ、ジャンパーの内ポケットに刃渡り約１８センチの包丁を持っていたため、銃刀法違反容疑で現行犯逮捕した。
調べでは、逮捕されたのは常滑市内の無職の少年（１９）で、警察官が「包丁を捨てろ」と言うと抵抗せず素直に応じた。取り調べに対し「年寄りが嫌いで、むしゃくしゃしたので殺したいと思って家を出た。包丁は家から持ってきた」などと供述しているという。
常滑署は通報を受けた後、近くの小中学校に連絡して校門を閉めさせ、警察官を配備した。さらに付近一帯をパトカーで巡回し、住民に注意を呼び掛けた。【飯田和樹】
Mainichi Newspaper
April 10, 2008
The 19-year-old, whose name has been withheld because he is a minor, was arrested on suspicion of violating the Firearms and Swords Control Law.
"I hate old people and I was feeling irritated, so I left home thinking I was going to kill someone. I brought the knife from home," police quoted the teen as saying.
Police said a man contacted Tokoname Police Station at about 2:10 p.m. on Wednesday, telling them an acquaintance had gone out of the house with a knife saying he was going to kill someone at random.
Law enforcers dispatched a search team of 50, and officers found a man matching the description of the suspect on a platform at Nishinokuchi Station on the Meitetsu Tokoname Line. When they questioned him, they found a knife in his jacket with an 18-centimeter blade, and immediately arrested him.
After receiving the report from the acquaintance, police ordered an elementary and junior high school in the area to shut their gates, and dispatched police officers to keep watch. They also dispatched several police cars and warned residents to be on the alert.
銃刀法違反：「人殺す」と包丁持参、少年逮捕 愛知・常滑
９日午後２時１０分ごろ、男性の声で「（知人が）誰でもいいから殺すと、包丁を持って家を出ていった」と愛知県警常滑署に通報があった。同署が緊急配備し、５０人態勢で周辺を捜索した結果、約３０分後に同県常滑市住吉町４の名鉄常滑線西之口駅ホームで通報内容に似た服装の男を発見した。職務質問したところ、ジャンパーの内ポケットに刃渡り約１８センチの包丁を持っていたため、銃刀法違反容疑で現行犯逮捕した。
調べでは、逮捕されたのは常滑市内の無職の少年（１９）で、警察官が「包丁を捨てろ」と言うと抵抗せず素直に応じた。取り調べに対し「年寄りが嫌いで、むしゃくしゃしたので殺したいと思って家を出た。包丁は家から持ってきた」などと供述しているという。
常滑署は通報を受けた後、近くの小中学校に連絡して校門を閉めさせ、警察官を配備した。さらに付近一帯をパトカーで巡回し、住民に注意を呼び掛けた。【飯田和樹】
Mainichi Newspaper
April 10, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Briefly: police told to disclose informants
04/01/2008
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
SENDAI--The district court here Monday ordered police to disclose names and information related to funds earmarked for rewarding informants in fiscal 1999.
Presiding Judge Yoshiko Hatanaka ruled that most of the expenditures were fictional.
It is the first time a court has ordered disclosure of names of informants.
A citizen ombudsman's group filed the lawsuit on grounds that police have not said how the funds were used.
In June 2005, then Miyagi Governor Shiro Asano clashed with the prefectural police and suspended the budget for rewarding informants, contending that it could not confirm whether the police used the funds appropriately.(IHT/Asahi: April 1,2008)
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
SENDAI--The district court here Monday ordered police to disclose names and information related to funds earmarked for rewarding informants in fiscal 1999.
Presiding Judge Yoshiko Hatanaka ruled that most of the expenditures were fictional.
It is the first time a court has ordered disclosure of names of informants.
A citizen ombudsman's group filed the lawsuit on grounds that police have not said how the funds were used.
In June 2005, then Miyagi Governor Shiro Asano clashed with the prefectural police and suspended the budget for rewarding informants, contending that it could not confirm whether the police used the funds appropriately.(IHT/Asahi: April 1,2008)
Monday, March 31, 2008
Cops blew two chances to capture murder suspect before knife rampage
TSUCHIURA, Ibaraki -- Plainclothes police staking out a station apparently managed to blow two chances to capture a murder suspect prior to his fatal stabbing rampage there.
Masahiro Kanagawa, 24, an unemployed resident of Tsuchiura, allegedly passed through a ticket gate at JR Arakawaoki Station, despite the plainclothes officers on guard there, on March 22 and again on March 23 -- the day he went on a rampage that left one dead and seven injured.
Kanagawa, who is under arrest over the March 19 murder of Yoshikazu Miura, 72, had been wanted since March 21 after he sent an e-mail message to his mother's mobile phone earlier the same day, saying that he was going to kill more people.
Kanagawa also called and taunted police, calling them from his mobile phone at around 12:42 p.m. on March 22, and saying, "I'm Kanagawa, try and catch me soon."
The prefectural police determined that the man made the call at the Arakawaoki Station and dispatched several plainclothes policemen to the station, with two of them keeping watch over the ticket gate at the station.
However, Kanagawa managed to move to JR Toride Station and called police again at 1:38 p.m. the same day, this time making a silent call.
Investigators suspect that Kanagawa used Arakawaoki Station on March 22, because he told police after his arrest that he had "gone by train" after leaving a business hotel in Tokyo's Akihabara district earlier the same day. Kanagawa does not have a driver's license.
There is also a witness report that says a man believed to be Kanagawa was spotted near the station on March 22.
A 46-year-old man, who said he was driving a car on a road about 500 meters north of the station at around 1 p.m. on March 22 told police, "I saw a man closely resembling (Kanagawa) walking while murmuring, with a knit cap and black jacket on. I remember I was impressed with his long sideburns, and shortly later I heard a police siren."
茨城県土浦市のＪＲ荒川沖駅周辺で起きた８人殺傷事件で、別の殺人容疑で逮捕された同市中村東３、無職、金川（かながわ）真大（まさひろ）容疑者（２４）を、殺傷事件前日も県警の捜査員が荒川沖駅で見逃していた可能性が高いことが分かった。容疑者は２３日の殺傷事件直前に私服警察官２人が内外にいた改札口をすり抜けている。２日連続で指名手配中の容疑者に気づかず、県警の捜査体制が改めて問われそうだ。
調べでは、金川容疑者は殺傷事件２日前の２１日午前、母親の携帯電話に「犠牲者が増えるよ」と事件を予告するメールを送った。県警もこれを把握し２１日夕、市内の三浦芳一さん（７２）殺害事件で指名手配し公開捜査に切り替えた。
一方、容疑者は２２日午後０時４２分に１１０番し「金川です」と名乗り「早く捕まえてごらん」と話して切った。県警は携帯電話の位置情報から発信は荒川沖駅東口と割り出した。駅には始発から改札口内外に１人ずつ、周辺にも３～５人の私服警官を配置、重点警戒をしていた。容疑者は約１時間後の午後１時３８分にＪＲ取手駅付近から再び無言で１１０番している。２２日は東京・秋葉原のビジネスホテルを出た後「電車で移動した」と供述しており、荒川沖駅改札を出入りし、再び電車で移動したとみられるが、張り込みの警察官は気づかなかった。容疑者は運転免許を持たず、県警は駅の警戒を強めていた。
２２日午後１時すぎに荒川沖駅東口から北約５００メートルの路地で車を運転していたという店員の男性（４６）は「ニット帽をかぶった黒の上着の（金川容疑者と）よく似た男がぶつぶつ言いながら歩いているのを見た。長いもみあげが印象的で、直後にパトカーのサイレンが響いた」と話し、容疑者とみられる男が駅周辺にいたという目撃情報もある。
March 31, 2008
Mainichi
Masahiro Kanagawa, 24, an unemployed resident of Tsuchiura, allegedly passed through a ticket gate at JR Arakawaoki Station, despite the plainclothes officers on guard there, on March 22 and again on March 23 -- the day he went on a rampage that left one dead and seven injured.
Kanagawa, who is under arrest over the March 19 murder of Yoshikazu Miura, 72, had been wanted since March 21 after he sent an e-mail message to his mother's mobile phone earlier the same day, saying that he was going to kill more people.
Kanagawa also called and taunted police, calling them from his mobile phone at around 12:42 p.m. on March 22, and saying, "I'm Kanagawa, try and catch me soon."
The prefectural police determined that the man made the call at the Arakawaoki Station and dispatched several plainclothes policemen to the station, with two of them keeping watch over the ticket gate at the station.
However, Kanagawa managed to move to JR Toride Station and called police again at 1:38 p.m. the same day, this time making a silent call.
Investigators suspect that Kanagawa used Arakawaoki Station on March 22, because he told police after his arrest that he had "gone by train" after leaving a business hotel in Tokyo's Akihabara district earlier the same day. Kanagawa does not have a driver's license.
There is also a witness report that says a man believed to be Kanagawa was spotted near the station on March 22.
A 46-year-old man, who said he was driving a car on a road about 500 meters north of the station at around 1 p.m. on March 22 told police, "I saw a man closely resembling (Kanagawa) walking while murmuring, with a knit cap and black jacket on. I remember I was impressed with his long sideburns, and shortly later I heard a police siren."
茨城県土浦市のＪＲ荒川沖駅周辺で起きた８人殺傷事件で、別の殺人容疑で逮捕された同市中村東３、無職、金川（かながわ）真大（まさひろ）容疑者（２４）を、殺傷事件前日も県警の捜査員が荒川沖駅で見逃していた可能性が高いことが分かった。容疑者は２３日の殺傷事件直前に私服警察官２人が内外にいた改札口をすり抜けている。２日連続で指名手配中の容疑者に気づかず、県警の捜査体制が改めて問われそうだ。
調べでは、金川容疑者は殺傷事件２日前の２１日午前、母親の携帯電話に「犠牲者が増えるよ」と事件を予告するメールを送った。県警もこれを把握し２１日夕、市内の三浦芳一さん（７２）殺害事件で指名手配し公開捜査に切り替えた。
一方、容疑者は２２日午後０時４２分に１１０番し「金川です」と名乗り「早く捕まえてごらん」と話して切った。県警は携帯電話の位置情報から発信は荒川沖駅東口と割り出した。駅には始発から改札口内外に１人ずつ、周辺にも３～５人の私服警官を配置、重点警戒をしていた。容疑者は約１時間後の午後１時３８分にＪＲ取手駅付近から再び無言で１１０番している。２２日は東京・秋葉原のビジネスホテルを出た後「電車で移動した」と供述しており、荒川沖駅改札を出入りし、再び電車で移動したとみられるが、張り込みの警察官は気づかなかった。容疑者は運転免許を持たず、県警は駅の警戒を強めていた。
２２日午後１時すぎに荒川沖駅東口から北約５００メートルの路地で車を運転していたという店員の男性（４６）は「ニット帽をかぶった黒の上着の（金川容疑者と）よく似た男がぶつぶつ言いながら歩いているのを見た。長いもみあげが印象的で、直後にパトカーのサイレンが響いた」と話し、容疑者とみられる男が駅周辺にいたという目撃情報もある。
March 31, 2008
Mainichi
Fukuoka cop arrested for attempted rape
FUKUOKA -- A police captain here has been arrested for attempting to rape a woman he met during an investigation.
Fukuoka Prefectural Police on Friday arrested Takashi Nitta, 48, captain at the prefectural police, on charges of attempted rape. Nitta has denied the allegations.
According to police, Nitta asked a Fukuoka woman, who'd cooperated in an investigation, out for dinner on Feb. 26. After the two had dined at a bar in Fukuoka's Chuo-ku, Nitta invited her to a karaoke bar; and at around 10:25 p.m. the same day, Nitta allegedly took her to a hotel in Chuo-ku, shoved her to the bed and forced a kiss on her.
The case surfaced after the woman complained to the prefectural police on March 12. However, Nitta denies the charges, saying, "It is totally incorrect. It's true that we went to a hotel, but I didn't ask her to go."
"It is very shameful for us police officers, and it's extremely regrettable. We deeply apologize to the victim and to prefectural citizens," Kenichi Fujiwara, chief inspector at the prefectural police, said.
Nitta was transferred to the police affairs department after his arrest.
Recently, another senior policeman at Fukuoka Prefectural Police was accused of trespassing and subsequently resigned.
強姦未遂：福岡の警部逮捕 女性をホテルに連れ込む
福岡県警は２８日、知人女性に性的暴行をしようとしたとして、福岡市早良区西新７、同県警地域課課長補佐（警部）、新田隆容疑者（４８）＝逮捕後、警務課付＝を強姦未遂容疑で逮捕した。
調べでは、新田容疑者は機動捜査隊班長だった２月２６日、捜査協力者の女性会社員（２７）＝福岡市在住＝を電話で誘い、同市中央区の居酒屋で飲食。その後、「カラオケに行こう」と誘い、同日午後１０時２５分ごろ、同区内のホテルに連れ込み、女性をベッドに押し倒して無理やりキスするなどして乱暴しようとした疑い。女性が同容疑者の顔をたたくなどして抵抗したという。同容疑者は非番勤務だった。
３月１２日、女性が県警に被害を届け出て発覚。同容疑者は調べに対し「全然違います。ホテルに行ったのは事実ですが、私は誘っていません」と供述し、強姦未遂容疑を否認しているという。
同県警では捜査２課巡査長＝退職＝が住居侵入事件を起こしたばかり。藤原健一・首席監察官は「同じ警察官として大変情けない。痛恨の極み。被害者や県民に深くおわびする」と謝罪した。【和田武士】
March 31, 2008
Maichichi
Fukuoka Prefectural Police on Friday arrested Takashi Nitta, 48, captain at the prefectural police, on charges of attempted rape. Nitta has denied the allegations.
According to police, Nitta asked a Fukuoka woman, who'd cooperated in an investigation, out for dinner on Feb. 26. After the two had dined at a bar in Fukuoka's Chuo-ku, Nitta invited her to a karaoke bar; and at around 10:25 p.m. the same day, Nitta allegedly took her to a hotel in Chuo-ku, shoved her to the bed and forced a kiss on her.
The case surfaced after the woman complained to the prefectural police on March 12. However, Nitta denies the charges, saying, "It is totally incorrect. It's true that we went to a hotel, but I didn't ask her to go."
"It is very shameful for us police officers, and it's extremely regrettable. We deeply apologize to the victim and to prefectural citizens," Kenichi Fujiwara, chief inspector at the prefectural police, said.
Nitta was transferred to the police affairs department after his arrest.
Recently, another senior policeman at Fukuoka Prefectural Police was accused of trespassing and subsequently resigned.
強姦未遂：福岡の警部逮捕 女性をホテルに連れ込む
福岡県警は２８日、知人女性に性的暴行をしようとしたとして、福岡市早良区西新７、同県警地域課課長補佐（警部）、新田隆容疑者（４８）＝逮捕後、警務課付＝を強姦未遂容疑で逮捕した。
調べでは、新田容疑者は機動捜査隊班長だった２月２６日、捜査協力者の女性会社員（２７）＝福岡市在住＝を電話で誘い、同市中央区の居酒屋で飲食。その後、「カラオケに行こう」と誘い、同日午後１０時２５分ごろ、同区内のホテルに連れ込み、女性をベッドに押し倒して無理やりキスするなどして乱暴しようとした疑い。女性が同容疑者の顔をたたくなどして抵抗したという。同容疑者は非番勤務だった。
３月１２日、女性が県警に被害を届け出て発覚。同容疑者は調べに対し「全然違います。ホテルに行ったのは事実ですが、私は誘っていません」と供述し、強姦未遂容疑を否認しているという。
同県警では捜査２課巡査長＝退職＝が住居侵入事件を起こしたばかり。藤原健一・首席監察官は「同じ警察官として大変情けない。痛恨の極み。被害者や県民に深くおわびする」と謝罪した。【和田武士】
March 31, 2008
Maichichi
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Police superintendent cops suspension for copying porn seized as evidence
FUNABASHI, Chiba -- A police superintendent who ordered assistants to copy pornographic DVDs seized as evidence in a crime case so he could take them home and watch them has been suspended from duty for one month, police said.
Also punished were the captain who issued the order for the DVDs to be copied, and the assistant inspector who actually made the copies in the Funabashi Higashi Police Station, both of whom will have a 10 percent pay cut for the next six months.
The assistant inspector has also been reported to the Chiba District Public Prosecutors Office, accused of proliferation of indecent images.
"This is extremely regrettable," Chiba Prefectural Police spokesman Atsushi Nishiyama said. "We deeply apologize to the people of the prefecture. We will thoroughly manage evidence and try to make sure something like this doesn't happen again."
Police said the superintendent asked the captain to make copies of uncensored pornographic DVDs police had seized in a raid on a Funabashi video dealer in September 2006. The captain then instructed the assistant inspector to copy the movies in October 2006. The assistant inspector made copies of 18 DVDs, giving them to the superintendent, assistant inspector and another officer at the station.
ポルノＤＶＤ：警視、複製し持ち帰り 停職１カ月－－県警 ／千葉
船橋東署の刑事官だった警視（４６）＝現県警留置管理課付＝が、事件の証拠品であるポルノＤＶＤを署内でダビングさせ持ち帰っていた問題で、県警は２６日、警視を停職１カ月の懲戒処分とした。警視の依頼で部下に指示した警部（６０）＝当時同署生活安全課長、現同署付▽署内でダビングした警部補（５３）＝当時同署巡査部長、現八千代署係長＝の２人も減給１０分の１（６カ月）とした。また、警部補をわいせつ図画頒布容疑で千葉地検に書類送検した。
県警監察官室によると、警視は０６年９月、同署が船橋市のビデオ販売店から押収した無修正ＤＶＤを、観賞用にダビングするよう警部に依頼。警部から指示された警部補は０６年１０月、署内で１８枚ダビングし、警視や警部、部下の男性巡査に渡した。
同県警の西山厚志・首席監察官は「誠に遺憾。県民に深くおわびする。証拠品の管理を徹底し、再発防止に努める」とコメントした。【中川聡子】
March 27, 2008
Mainichi
Also punished were the captain who issued the order for the DVDs to be copied, and the assistant inspector who actually made the copies in the Funabashi Higashi Police Station, both of whom will have a 10 percent pay cut for the next six months.
The assistant inspector has also been reported to the Chiba District Public Prosecutors Office, accused of proliferation of indecent images.
"This is extremely regrettable," Chiba Prefectural Police spokesman Atsushi Nishiyama said. "We deeply apologize to the people of the prefecture. We will thoroughly manage evidence and try to make sure something like this doesn't happen again."
Police said the superintendent asked the captain to make copies of uncensored pornographic DVDs police had seized in a raid on a Funabashi video dealer in September 2006. The captain then instructed the assistant inspector to copy the movies in October 2006. The assistant inspector made copies of 18 DVDs, giving them to the superintendent, assistant inspector and another officer at the station.
ポルノＤＶＤ：警視、複製し持ち帰り 停職１カ月－－県警 ／千葉
船橋東署の刑事官だった警視（４６）＝現県警留置管理課付＝が、事件の証拠品であるポルノＤＶＤを署内でダビングさせ持ち帰っていた問題で、県警は２６日、警視を停職１カ月の懲戒処分とした。警視の依頼で部下に指示した警部（６０）＝当時同署生活安全課長、現同署付▽署内でダビングした警部補（５３）＝当時同署巡査部長、現八千代署係長＝の２人も減給１０分の１（６カ月）とした。また、警部補をわいせつ図画頒布容疑で千葉地検に書類送検した。
県警監察官室によると、警視は０６年９月、同署が船橋市のビデオ販売店から押収した無修正ＤＶＤを、観賞用にダビングするよう警部に依頼。警部から指示された警部補は０６年１０月、署内で１８枚ダビングし、警視や警部、部下の男性巡査に渡した。
同県警の西山厚志・首席監察官は「誠に遺憾。県民に深くおわびする。証拠品の管理を徹底し、再発防止に努める」とコメントした。【中川聡子】
March 27, 2008
Mainichi
Man matching suspect in murder of British woman spotted in Ikebukuro
A man closely resembling the suspect wanted in connection with the murder of a British woman has been frequently spotted in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district, police said.
Chiba Prefectural Police have received about 40 pieces of information in which witnesses said they saw in Ikebukuro a man resembling Tatsuya Ichihashi, 29, who is wanted in connection with the murder of Lindsay Ann Hawker, 22.
The witnesses said a man whose eyes and other characteristics closely resembled Ichihashi had frequently visited a pachinko parlor, a hotel and restaurants near JR Ikebukuro Station since right after the murder of Hawker in March last year up until recently.
The investigation headquarters at the prefectural police has also found that Ichihashi, an unemployed man from Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, had visited Ikebukuro with an acquaintance before the slaying took place.
Presuming that Ichihashi may still be in the Ikebukuro area, police have deployed a large number of investigators to the district, trying to get information on the suspect from restaurants, hotels and adult-entertainment shops in the area.
The body of Hawker, who was an English teacher at a private language school, was found in a bath tub on the balcony of Ichihashi's apartment in Ichikawa in March last year. Ichihashi, who was Hawker's private student, has been on the run since the body was found.
After the murder, the prefectural police publicized a facial photo of Ichihashi, as well as an image of him in the disguise of a woman, and Ichihashi's hand-drawn picture of Hawker, leading to more than 3,000 pieces of information on the suspect being submitted by the public to prefectural police.
The National Police Agency (NPA) will pay a reward up to 1 million yen to anyone who provides information that could lead to the arrest of Ichihashi before June.
People with information on the suspect can call the investigation headquarters at: 047-397-0110.
一方、これまでの調べで、市橋容疑者が事件前に知人と池袋を訪れていたことも判明。このため、捜査本部は池袋に土地勘があり、事件後も訪れている可能性があるとみて、捜査員を集中的に投入。飲食店やホテル、風俗店での聞き込みなどを進めている。
捜査本部は１４１人態勢で臨んでおり、市橋容疑者が女装して潜伏している可能性もあるとみて、女装写真も作成して公開。また、絵を描くことが趣味だった市橋容疑者がリンゼイさんを以前描いたデッサンも公開している。これまで、池袋での目撃も含め、３０００件以上の情報が寄せられている。
警察庁も逮捕につながる情報の提供者に、今年６月まで最大１００万円を支払うことにしている。情報は県警の捜査本部（電話０４７・３９７・０１１０）で受け付けている。【山本太一】
【ことば】リンゼイさん殺害事件
千葉県船橋市に住んでいた英国籍の英会話学校女性講師、リンゼイさんが行方不明になり、千葉県警の捜査員がリンゼイさんの個人レッスンを受けていた同県市川市の市橋容疑者の自宅を訪問して、ベランダにあった浴槽内で遺体を発見した。この時、市橋容疑者は自宅にいたが、捜査員を振り切って逃走した。県警は死体遺棄容疑で市橋容疑者を指名手配し、捜査員延べ４万５０００人を投入して行方を追っている。
March 26, 2008
Mainichi
Chiba Prefectural Police have received about 40 pieces of information in which witnesses said they saw in Ikebukuro a man resembling Tatsuya Ichihashi, 29, who is wanted in connection with the murder of Lindsay Ann Hawker, 22.
The witnesses said a man whose eyes and other characteristics closely resembled Ichihashi had frequently visited a pachinko parlor, a hotel and restaurants near JR Ikebukuro Station since right after the murder of Hawker in March last year up until recently.
The investigation headquarters at the prefectural police has also found that Ichihashi, an unemployed man from Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, had visited Ikebukuro with an acquaintance before the slaying took place.
Presuming that Ichihashi may still be in the Ikebukuro area, police have deployed a large number of investigators to the district, trying to get information on the suspect from restaurants, hotels and adult-entertainment shops in the area.
The body of Hawker, who was an English teacher at a private language school, was found in a bath tub on the balcony of Ichihashi's apartment in Ichikawa in March last year. Ichihashi, who was Hawker's private student, has been on the run since the body was found.
After the murder, the prefectural police publicized a facial photo of Ichihashi, as well as an image of him in the disguise of a woman, and Ichihashi's hand-drawn picture of Hawker, leading to more than 3,000 pieces of information on the suspect being submitted by the public to prefectural police.
The National Police Agency (NPA) will pay a reward up to 1 million yen to anyone who provides information that could lead to the arrest of Ichihashi before June.
People with information on the suspect can call the investigation headquarters at: 047-397-0110.
一方、これまでの調べで、市橋容疑者が事件前に知人と池袋を訪れていたことも判明。このため、捜査本部は池袋に土地勘があり、事件後も訪れている可能性があるとみて、捜査員を集中的に投入。飲食店やホテル、風俗店での聞き込みなどを進めている。
捜査本部は１４１人態勢で臨んでおり、市橋容疑者が女装して潜伏している可能性もあるとみて、女装写真も作成して公開。また、絵を描くことが趣味だった市橋容疑者がリンゼイさんを以前描いたデッサンも公開している。これまで、池袋での目撃も含め、３０００件以上の情報が寄せられている。
警察庁も逮捕につながる情報の提供者に、今年６月まで最大１００万円を支払うことにしている。情報は県警の捜査本部（電話０４７・３９７・０１１０）で受け付けている。【山本太一】
【ことば】リンゼイさん殺害事件
千葉県船橋市に住んでいた英国籍の英会話学校女性講師、リンゼイさんが行方不明になり、千葉県警の捜査員がリンゼイさんの個人レッスンを受けていた同県市川市の市橋容疑者の自宅を訪問して、ベランダにあった浴槽内で遺体を発見した。この時、市橋容疑者は自宅にいたが、捜査員を振り切って逃走した。県警は死体遺棄容疑で市橋容疑者を指名手配し、捜査員延べ４万５０００人を投入して行方を追っている。
March 26, 2008
Mainichi
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Underwear-snatching cop handed prison sentence
A police officer convicted of stealing women's underwear and groping a teenage girl was Wednesday sentenced to 2 1/2 years' imprisonment.
Handed the sentence at the Hachioji Branch of the Tokyo District Court was Keisuke Kamihara, a former senior officer in the Metropolitan Police Department's No. 7 riot police unit.
"His awareness of the norms as a police officer was numbed, and his criminal responsibility is great," Judge Kazunobu Yamazaki said as the officer was handed the sentence.
Yamazaki was convicted of sneaking into a woman's apartment in the Tokyo city of Tachikawa in October last year and stealing 17 items, including underwear. He also stole underwear and cash in five thefts between March and October last year, according to the ruling. In February last year, the 27-year-old officer also fondled the breasts of an 18-year-old girl on a road in Tachikawa and snatched a bag from her valued at 25,900 yen, the ruling said.
下着ドロ：元警視庁巡査長に懲役２年６月の実刑
アパートに侵入し女性の下着を盗むなどしたとして、窃盗や強制わいせつ罪などに問われた元警視庁第七機動隊巡査長、神原圭介被告（２７）＝懲戒免職＝に対し、東京地裁八王子支部は２６日、懲役２年６月（求刑・懲役３年６月）の実刑判決を言い渡した。山崎和信裁判官は「警察官としての規範意識がまひしており、刑事責任は重大だ」と指摘した。
判決によると、神原被告は昨年１０月、東京都立川市曙町にあるアパートの女性の部屋に忍び込み、下着など１７点を盗むなど、昨年３～１０月に５件の盗みをして現金や下着など計１４万３０００円相当を盗んだ。昨年２月には、立川市の路上で、女性（１８）の胸を触り手提げバッグ（時価２万５９００円相当）を奪った。【神澤龍二】
March 26, 2008
Mainichi
Handed the sentence at the Hachioji Branch of the Tokyo District Court was Keisuke Kamihara, a former senior officer in the Metropolitan Police Department's No. 7 riot police unit.
"His awareness of the norms as a police officer was numbed, and his criminal responsibility is great," Judge Kazunobu Yamazaki said as the officer was handed the sentence.
Yamazaki was convicted of sneaking into a woman's apartment in the Tokyo city of Tachikawa in October last year and stealing 17 items, including underwear. He also stole underwear and cash in five thefts between March and October last year, according to the ruling. In February last year, the 27-year-old officer also fondled the breasts of an 18-year-old girl on a road in Tachikawa and snatched a bag from her valued at 25,900 yen, the ruling said.
下着ドロ：元警視庁巡査長に懲役２年６月の実刑
アパートに侵入し女性の下着を盗むなどしたとして、窃盗や強制わいせつ罪などに問われた元警視庁第七機動隊巡査長、神原圭介被告（２７）＝懲戒免職＝に対し、東京地裁八王子支部は２６日、懲役２年６月（求刑・懲役３年６月）の実刑判決を言い渡した。山崎和信裁判官は「警察官としての規範意識がまひしており、刑事責任は重大だ」と指摘した。
判決によると、神原被告は昨年１０月、東京都立川市曙町にあるアパートの女性の部屋に忍び込み、下着など１７点を盗むなど、昨年３～１０月に５件の盗みをして現金や下着など計１４万３０００円相当を盗んだ。昨年２月には、立川市の路上で、女性（１８）の胸を触り手提げバッグ（時価２万５９００円相当）を奪った。【神澤龍二】
March 26, 2008
Mainichi
'Tired' police officer leaps to death from apartment block
KAWASAKI -- A National Police Agency (NPA) superintendent was found dead here early Tuesday, apparently after he leaped to his death from a building, law enforcers said.
The 43-year-old officer was found dead on a road outside the apartment block where he lived at about 5:25 a.m. on Tuesday. A note saying, "I'm tired," was found in the superintendent's home, leading police to suspect that he committed suicide. They are investigating possible motives.
NPA officials said that the superintendent was hired by the Imperial Guard, and from March 14 he had been assigned to a division specializing in international terrorism countermeasures.
"He had just been transferred, and we can't think of any worries or trouble with work he might have had," an NPA representative said.
In the Imperial Guard, the superintendent had belonged to the No. 2 protection division in charge of guarding the crown prince and his family.
自殺：警察庁警視がマンションから飛び降りか 川崎
２５日午前５時２５分ごろ川崎市麻生区のマンション前路上で、同マンションに住む警察庁警視の男性（４３）が倒れているのが見つかった。自宅からは「疲れた」などと書かれた遺書が見つかっており、神奈川県警麻生署は飛び降り自殺とみて動機を調べている。
同庁によると警視は皇宮警察の採用で、今月１４日付で、同庁警備局国際テロリズム対策課に異動になった。同庁は「異動したばかりで、仕事上のトラブルや悩みは思い当たらない」としている。警視は皇宮警察では、皇太子ご一家の警備を担当する護衛２課に所属していた。
March 25, 2008
Mainichi
The 43-year-old officer was found dead on a road outside the apartment block where he lived at about 5:25 a.m. on Tuesday. A note saying, "I'm tired," was found in the superintendent's home, leading police to suspect that he committed suicide. They are investigating possible motives.
NPA officials said that the superintendent was hired by the Imperial Guard, and from March 14 he had been assigned to a division specializing in international terrorism countermeasures.
"He had just been transferred, and we can't think of any worries or trouble with work he might have had," an NPA representative said.
In the Imperial Guard, the superintendent had belonged to the No. 2 protection division in charge of guarding the crown prince and his family.
自殺：警察庁警視がマンションから飛び降りか 川崎
２５日午前５時２５分ごろ川崎市麻生区のマンション前路上で、同マンションに住む警察庁警視の男性（４３）が倒れているのが見つかった。自宅からは「疲れた」などと書かれた遺書が見つかっており、神奈川県警麻生署は飛び降り自殺とみて動機を調べている。
同庁によると警視は皇宮警察の採用で、今月１４日付で、同庁警備局国際テロリズム対策課に異動になった。同庁は「異動したばかりで、仕事上のトラブルや悩みは思い当たらない」としている。警視は皇宮警察では、皇太子ご一家の警備を担当する護衛２課に所属していた。
March 25, 2008
Mainichi
Officer runs afoul of Copyright Law
03/25/2008
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
FUKUOKA--Prefectural police here Monday referred to prosecutors the case of an officer suspected of infringing on a map publisher's copyright through his use of Winny file-sharing software.
Police said the officer, who is 31 and from Hyogo Prefecture, made it possible for other Winny users to download map data created by the publisher.
Earlier this month, police seized the officer's personal computer.
A check showed that he had downloaded numerous maps created by Kita-Kyushu-based Zenrin Co.
The officer admitted during police questioning to downloading maps using Winny, saying he planned to use them for work. He also said he was aware that his actions were illegal, according to sources.
Because Winny allows direct receiving and sending of coded data, rather than going through a server, it is usually difficult to pinpoint illegal users.
But the prefectural police used their own system to identify the officer in question.
In March 2006, the National Police Agency instructed police departments around the country to make sure that staff were aware of a new ban on using Winny software, which automatically makes data available to other Winny users after a person has repeatedly downloaded particular data.
Downloading data, music for instance, for personal use is not prohibited.
The officer's personal computer also stored other data that he likely obtained via Winny, the sources said.
The first arrest concerning possible Copyright Law violations over the Winny program occurred in November 2003 when the Kyoto prefectural police arrested two men for allegedly making movie images and video game software available.
In May 2004, the Kyoto prefectural police arrested the creator of Winny for helping others to violate the law.
The former teaching assistant at the University of Tokyo was found guilty by the Kyoto District Court in December 2006.
He is currently appealing the decision at the Osaka High Court.(IHT/Asahi: March 25,2008)
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
FUKUOKA--Prefectural police here Monday referred to prosecutors the case of an officer suspected of infringing on a map publisher's copyright through his use of Winny file-sharing software.
Police said the officer, who is 31 and from Hyogo Prefecture, made it possible for other Winny users to download map data created by the publisher.
Earlier this month, police seized the officer's personal computer.
A check showed that he had downloaded numerous maps created by Kita-Kyushu-based Zenrin Co.
The officer admitted during police questioning to downloading maps using Winny, saying he planned to use them for work. He also said he was aware that his actions were illegal, according to sources.
Because Winny allows direct receiving and sending of coded data, rather than going through a server, it is usually difficult to pinpoint illegal users.
But the prefectural police used their own system to identify the officer in question.
In March 2006, the National Police Agency instructed police departments around the country to make sure that staff were aware of a new ban on using Winny software, which automatically makes data available to other Winny users after a person has repeatedly downloaded particular data.
Downloading data, music for instance, for personal use is not prohibited.
The officer's personal computer also stored other data that he likely obtained via Winny, the sources said.
The first arrest concerning possible Copyright Law violations over the Winny program occurred in November 2003 when the Kyoto prefectural police arrested two men for allegedly making movie images and video game software available.
In May 2004, the Kyoto prefectural police arrested the creator of Winny for helping others to violate the law.
The former teaching assistant at the University of Tokyo was found guilty by the Kyoto District Court in December 2006.
He is currently appealing the decision at the Osaka High Court.(IHT/Asahi: March 25,2008)
Police procedures questioned / Plainclothesmen at scene of stabbing spree not equipped with radios
The Yomiuri Shimbun
MITO--The eight plainclothes police officers posted in and around JR Arakawaoki Station on the lookout for a man wanted for murder were not equipped with radios and thus were unable to coordinate their actions when the man they were seeking went on a stabbing spree in the station area, it was learned Monday.
The members of the Tsuchiura Police Station's task force investigating the murder of a 72-year-old man in the city were looking for murder suspect Masahiro Kanagawa.
Due to the lack of radio communication, the officers were unable to coordinate with each other, and could not prevent the series of attacks. "Consequently, we couldn't work well. We have to review it," an officer of the investigation team said.
On Sunday, the police task force placed one officer on the southbound platform of the station, one just inside the ticket gates, one just outside the gates, two each on the east and west exits of the station. There is only one ticket gate area at the station. The eighth officer, acting as a leader of the eight, was watching the northbound platform and also patrolling the station.
According to the police, Kanagawa got off a northbound Joban Line train at about 11 a.m. and went though a ticket gate. After allegedly attacking an 18-year-old male high school student, Kanagawa stabbed 29-year-old police officer Yuji Isshiki, who was stationed outside the gates.
Isshiki notified the officer inside the gates, and this officer tried unsuccessfully to pursue Kanagawa.
The prefectural police first learned about the attacks via a phone call informing them that a man with a knife was at the Nagasakiya department store in a nearby shopping center.
Four of the eight officers learned about the attack by calls to their cell phones from the prefectural police and rushed to Nagasakiya to search for the man.
The two officers deployed at the west exit went into the station to aid victims near the ticket gates, according to the police.
The investigation task force said it decided not to issue radios to the officers as earphones from the radios would have allowed Kanagawa to notice the plainclothes officers deployed at the station.
The investigation task force team instructed the eight officers to wear body armor, but they were not carrying sidearms.
According to the National Police Agency and other sources, police chasing a suspect normally use radios to receive instructions and to check each other's locations.
A senior NPA official said, "I must say the way the officers were deployed was problematic. It's regrettable."
Following the incident, the National Police Agency instructed the prefectural police to examine whether there were problems in the search for the suspect and other investigative methods used after Kanagawa had been placed on the wanted list.
According to the police, Kanagawa had been staying in Tokyo since allegedly killing Yoshikazu Miura on Wednesday. On Saturday, Kanagawa reportedly traveled by JR Joban Line train to Arakawaoki Station, where he called the police, saying, "You'd better catch me soon."
On the same day, Kanagawa returned to Tokyo and stayed at a business hotel near JR Akihabara Station, the police said. He returned to Arakawaoki Station on Sunday morning, they said.
Meanwhile, friends and acquaintances of Takahiro Yamagami burned incense and prayed Monday in front of the shopping center in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki Prefecture, where he was fatally stabbed.
One woman broke down in tears after placing flowers at the site. "I heard that the Ibaraki prefectural police mobilized 170 officers [to search for Kanagawa]. What were they doing? Isn't their job to protect citizens like us?" she said.
===
Woman hurt in knife attack
NAGOYA--A 36-year-old woman was seriously injured after being stabbed in the back with a knife on a street in Naka Ward, Nagoya, early Monday, police said.
According to the police, Yasuko Nakatani, an employee at a restaurant in the city, is believed to have been stabbed by a man at about 3:05 a.m.
With a fruit knife stuck in her back, Nakatani reportedly went to an apartment of her friend on her own and called for an ambulance.
(Mar. 25, 2008)
MITO--The eight plainclothes police officers posted in and around JR Arakawaoki Station on the lookout for a man wanted for murder were not equipped with radios and thus were unable to coordinate their actions when the man they were seeking went on a stabbing spree in the station area, it was learned Monday.
The members of the Tsuchiura Police Station's task force investigating the murder of a 72-year-old man in the city were looking for murder suspect Masahiro Kanagawa.
Due to the lack of radio communication, the officers were unable to coordinate with each other, and could not prevent the series of attacks. "Consequently, we couldn't work well. We have to review it," an officer of the investigation team said.
On Sunday, the police task force placed one officer on the southbound platform of the station, one just inside the ticket gates, one just outside the gates, two each on the east and west exits of the station. There is only one ticket gate area at the station. The eighth officer, acting as a leader of the eight, was watching the northbound platform and also patrolling the station.
According to the police, Kanagawa got off a northbound Joban Line train at about 11 a.m. and went though a ticket gate. After allegedly attacking an 18-year-old male high school student, Kanagawa stabbed 29-year-old police officer Yuji Isshiki, who was stationed outside the gates.
Isshiki notified the officer inside the gates, and this officer tried unsuccessfully to pursue Kanagawa.
The prefectural police first learned about the attacks via a phone call informing them that a man with a knife was at the Nagasakiya department store in a nearby shopping center.
Four of the eight officers learned about the attack by calls to their cell phones from the prefectural police and rushed to Nagasakiya to search for the man.
The two officers deployed at the west exit went into the station to aid victims near the ticket gates, according to the police.
The investigation task force said it decided not to issue radios to the officers as earphones from the radios would have allowed Kanagawa to notice the plainclothes officers deployed at the station.
The investigation task force team instructed the eight officers to wear body armor, but they were not carrying sidearms.
According to the National Police Agency and other sources, police chasing a suspect normally use radios to receive instructions and to check each other's locations.
A senior NPA official said, "I must say the way the officers were deployed was problematic. It's regrettable."
Following the incident, the National Police Agency instructed the prefectural police to examine whether there were problems in the search for the suspect and other investigative methods used after Kanagawa had been placed on the wanted list.
According to the police, Kanagawa had been staying in Tokyo since allegedly killing Yoshikazu Miura on Wednesday. On Saturday, Kanagawa reportedly traveled by JR Joban Line train to Arakawaoki Station, where he called the police, saying, "You'd better catch me soon."
On the same day, Kanagawa returned to Tokyo and stayed at a business hotel near JR Akihabara Station, the police said. He returned to Arakawaoki Station on Sunday morning, they said.
Meanwhile, friends and acquaintances of Takahiro Yamagami burned incense and prayed Monday in front of the shopping center in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki Prefecture, where he was fatally stabbed.
One woman broke down in tears after placing flowers at the site. "I heard that the Ibaraki prefectural police mobilized 170 officers [to search for Kanagawa]. What were they doing? Isn't their job to protect citizens like us?" she said.
===
Woman hurt in knife attack
NAGOYA--A 36-year-old woman was seriously injured after being stabbed in the back with a knife on a street in Naka Ward, Nagoya, early Monday, police said.
According to the police, Yasuko Nakatani, an employee at a restaurant in the city, is believed to have been stabbed by a man at about 3:05 a.m.
With a fruit knife stuck in her back, Nakatani reportedly went to an apartment of her friend on her own and called for an ambulance.
(Mar. 25, 2008)
Details of confessions to be taped
The Yomiuri Shimbun
The Supreme Public Prosecutors Office plans to start the audio and video recording of all interrogations of suspects who have confessed to prosecutors from April in all cases that would be handled under the lay judge system to be launched next year, prosecutors said Friday.
The decision was revealed in the final report of the top prosecutors office on the effectiveness of recording interrogations.
However, the report declined to recommend the recording of all stages of the interrogation process because it says this might make it difficult for suspects to confess to offenses.
The report also detailed a set of guidelines for the recordings, such as not stopping recordings without approval and not editing recordings.
The National Police Agency, which had expressed strong opposition to the recording of interrogations, has also decided to introduce the system on a trial basis.
With the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office decision to record interrogations in all types of cases to be handled by lay judges, Japan's criminal investigation system, which has been criticized for being conducted behind closed doors, is likely to reach a watershed, observers said.
In August 2006 the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office started recording interrogations of suspects on a trial basis as a means of proving that their confessions were not coerced. Up to December, prosecutors recorded the interrogations of suspects in 170 cases.
The final report said the recording of interrogations would function as effective evidence in helping lay judges determine whether confessions were made voluntarily.
The report concluded that the audio and visual recording of interrogations should take place in all cases to be handled by lay judges in principle, as long as this did not interfere with the investigation process.
Of all cases to be handled by lay judges, interrogations would only be recorded in cases in which suspects have already made confessions.
If suspects have denied their involvement in their respective cases, their interrogations by prosecutors will not be recorded because there would be no confession whose legitimacy could be disputed in the court, the report said.
Other cases in which the audio and video recording of interrogations will not be mandatory include the following cases:
-- When a suspect refuses to answer questions asked by prosecutors out of fear of retaliation by members of organized crime syndicates or other parties, or if there is a possibility that the suspect's relatives or other parties might subsequently become the subject of attacks.
-- When an interpreter refuses to cooperate with investigators questioning a non-Japanese suspect.
-- When a suspect refuses to allow the recording of the interrogations.
(Mar. 22, 2008)
The Supreme Public Prosecutors Office plans to start the audio and video recording of all interrogations of suspects who have confessed to prosecutors from April in all cases that would be handled under the lay judge system to be launched next year, prosecutors said Friday.
The decision was revealed in the final report of the top prosecutors office on the effectiveness of recording interrogations.
However, the report declined to recommend the recording of all stages of the interrogation process because it says this might make it difficult for suspects to confess to offenses.
The report also detailed a set of guidelines for the recordings, such as not stopping recordings without approval and not editing recordings.
The National Police Agency, which had expressed strong opposition to the recording of interrogations, has also decided to introduce the system on a trial basis.
With the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office decision to record interrogations in all types of cases to be handled by lay judges, Japan's criminal investigation system, which has been criticized for being conducted behind closed doors, is likely to reach a watershed, observers said.
In August 2006 the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office started recording interrogations of suspects on a trial basis as a means of proving that their confessions were not coerced. Up to December, prosecutors recorded the interrogations of suspects in 170 cases.
The final report said the recording of interrogations would function as effective evidence in helping lay judges determine whether confessions were made voluntarily.
The report concluded that the audio and visual recording of interrogations should take place in all cases to be handled by lay judges in principle, as long as this did not interfere with the investigation process.
Of all cases to be handled by lay judges, interrogations would only be recorded in cases in which suspects have already made confessions.
If suspects have denied their involvement in their respective cases, their interrogations by prosecutors will not be recorded because there would be no confession whose legitimacy could be disputed in the court, the report said.
Other cases in which the audio and video recording of interrogations will not be mandatory include the following cases:
-- When a suspect refuses to answer questions asked by prosecutors out of fear of retaliation by members of organized crime syndicates or other parties, or if there is a possibility that the suspect's relatives or other parties might subsequently become the subject of attacks.
-- When an interpreter refuses to cooperate with investigators questioning a non-Japanese suspect.
-- When a suspect refuses to allow the recording of the interrogations.
(Mar. 22, 2008)
EDITORIAL: 'Stomping' verdict
03/22/2008
The Fukuoka District Court on Tuesday rendered a verdict that harshly condemned humiliating tactics used by a former police officer investigating alleged election fraud during voting for the Kagoshima prefectural assembly in 2003.
The presiding judge labeled the actions of the interrogator as "aberrant and illegal" and sentenced him to 10 months in prison, suspended for three years.
At issue was the way the officer forced an innocent suspect to stomp on paper sheets containing the names of his father and grandchildren. The practice is called fumiji.
The defendant, a former assistant inspector with the Kagoshima prefectural police, was found guilty of violating the law against special public servants' abuse of authority through assault or humiliation.
The stomping episode occurred during the inspector's questioning of a hotel operator in the suspected vote-buying case who had submitted to voluntary questioning. When the suspect kept silent, the inspector attempted to get him to talk by writing on sheets of paper the names of his grandchildren and father, as well as the words: "Please become an honest grandfather soon." The sheets were placed on the ground, with the inspector then grasping the man by the ankle and making him tramp directly on the sheets.
The hotel operator felt humiliated at being forced to tread on symbols of respect and love of his family members, causing him severe psychological stress.
The stern verdict was appropriate.
Interrogators found to have committed violent acts against suspects or humiliating them psychologically or physically can face prison terms of up to seven years. Almost all past applications of this law have involved cases of violence. The significance of Tuesday's ruling, which took a harsh view of what the person interrogated suffered psychologically, cannot be overstated.
The problems with the Kagoshima prefectural police in this case are not limited to the stomping incident. It turned out that the hotel operator was not even indicted in the end. The 12 other people eventually charged were later acquitted.
Castigated in the ruling, therefore, were the strong-armed tactics of an investigation that sought indictments through coerced confessions obtained by any possible means.
Investigations that rely on extracting confessions from suspects continue to be fixtures at other police departments as well, posing a serious problem for the nation's law-enforcing authorities at large. In response, the National Police Agency has compiled guidelines for proper investigations, including the monitoring of questioning by police divisions other than the investigation units.
Improving the means used in investigations is easier said than done, however. These are not procedures guaranteed to produce results even when conducted by the book. There may be cases when the interrogation methods need to be adjusted for certain suspects, and sometimes it might be necessary to push and pull.
At the very least, however, techniques that trample on people's feelings or insult them outright cannot be counted upon to dig up the truth. False confessions, furthermore, also run the risk of inviting bogus accusations and convictions.
In past editorials, we have pointed out the critical need to introduce a system for the filming and recording of all stages of criminal interrogations, in order to help avoid a recurrence of cases like this.
Though the NPA continued to drag its feet on this suggestion, it has at last followed in the footsteps of public prosecutors in moving to partially record and film investigations on a trial basis. This is a step in the right direction.
Under the planned citizen judge system to be introduced in 2009, in which citizens will act as judges together with professional judges, intensive hearings will be used to lighten the burden of the lay judges. In cases when defendants choose to deny charges due to what they claim are coerced confessions, the conventional system of long and drawn out deliberations over whether a written statement of confession is credible will no longer be allowed.
At such times, videotaped questioning sessions would also provide palpable evidence in forming more accurate judgments.
The lay judge system will commence by May 2009. It's time to terminate the old interrogation methods in favor of adopting new approaches.
--The Asahi Shimbun, March 21(IHT/Asahi: March 22,2008)
The Fukuoka District Court on Tuesday rendered a verdict that harshly condemned humiliating tactics used by a former police officer investigating alleged election fraud during voting for the Kagoshima prefectural assembly in 2003.
The presiding judge labeled the actions of the interrogator as "aberrant and illegal" and sentenced him to 10 months in prison, suspended for three years.
At issue was the way the officer forced an innocent suspect to stomp on paper sheets containing the names of his father and grandchildren. The practice is called fumiji.
The defendant, a former assistant inspector with the Kagoshima prefectural police, was found guilty of violating the law against special public servants' abuse of authority through assault or humiliation.
The stomping episode occurred during the inspector's questioning of a hotel operator in the suspected vote-buying case who had submitted to voluntary questioning. When the suspect kept silent, the inspector attempted to get him to talk by writing on sheets of paper the names of his grandchildren and father, as well as the words: "Please become an honest grandfather soon." The sheets were placed on the ground, with the inspector then grasping the man by the ankle and making him tramp directly on the sheets.
The hotel operator felt humiliated at being forced to tread on symbols of respect and love of his family members, causing him severe psychological stress.
The stern verdict was appropriate.
Interrogators found to have committed violent acts against suspects or humiliating them psychologically or physically can face prison terms of up to seven years. Almost all past applications of this law have involved cases of violence. The significance of Tuesday's ruling, which took a harsh view of what the person interrogated suffered psychologically, cannot be overstated.
The problems with the Kagoshima prefectural police in this case are not limited to the stomping incident. It turned out that the hotel operator was not even indicted in the end. The 12 other people eventually charged were later acquitted.
Castigated in the ruling, therefore, were the strong-armed tactics of an investigation that sought indictments through coerced confessions obtained by any possible means.
Investigations that rely on extracting confessions from suspects continue to be fixtures at other police departments as well, posing a serious problem for the nation's law-enforcing authorities at large. In response, the National Police Agency has compiled guidelines for proper investigations, including the monitoring of questioning by police divisions other than the investigation units.
Improving the means used in investigations is easier said than done, however. These are not procedures guaranteed to produce results even when conducted by the book. There may be cases when the interrogation methods need to be adjusted for certain suspects, and sometimes it might be necessary to push and pull.
At the very least, however, techniques that trample on people's feelings or insult them outright cannot be counted upon to dig up the truth. False confessions, furthermore, also run the risk of inviting bogus accusations and convictions.
In past editorials, we have pointed out the critical need to introduce a system for the filming and recording of all stages of criminal interrogations, in order to help avoid a recurrence of cases like this.
Though the NPA continued to drag its feet on this suggestion, it has at last followed in the footsteps of public prosecutors in moving to partially record and film investigations on a trial basis. This is a step in the right direction.
Under the planned citizen judge system to be introduced in 2009, in which citizens will act as judges together with professional judges, intensive hearings will be used to lighten the burden of the lay judges. In cases when defendants choose to deny charges due to what they claim are coerced confessions, the conventional system of long and drawn out deliberations over whether a written statement of confession is credible will no longer be allowed.
At such times, videotaped questioning sessions would also provide palpable evidence in forming more accurate judgments.
The lay judge system will commence by May 2009. It's time to terminate the old interrogation methods in favor of adopting new approaches.
--The Asahi Shimbun, March 21(IHT/Asahi: March 22,2008)
Sunday, March 16, 2008
TOKYO: Officer punished for pulling pistol
03/15/2008
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
Police sent papers to prosecutors Friday on a police officer who pointed his pistol at one of three noisy teenagers and threatened to kill him if they did not move.
The 27-year-old officer, who is assigned to the Takinogawa Police Station in Kita Ward, was suspended from duty for one month by the Metropolitan Police Department.
To expel the 16- and 17-year-olds, he withdrew his pistol from his holster on the night of Feb. 26, leveled it at one of the teenagers and said, "If you do not move, I will kill you."(IHT/Asahi: March 15,2008)
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
Police sent papers to prosecutors Friday on a police officer who pointed his pistol at one of three noisy teenagers and threatened to kill him if they did not move.
The 27-year-old officer, who is assigned to the Takinogawa Police Station in Kita Ward, was suspended from duty for one month by the Metropolitan Police Department.
To expel the 16- and 17-year-olds, he withdrew his pistol from his holster on the night of Feb. 26, leveled it at one of the teenagers and said, "If you do not move, I will kill you."(IHT/Asahi: March 15,2008)
Detective copied porn seized as evidence, took it home to watch
FUNABASHI, Chiba -- A Chiba Prefectural Police detective is being questioned over allegations that he ordered an underling to copy pornography seized as evidence so he could take it home and watch it, the Mainichi has learned.
Police internal affairs officials are questioning the man, who is now a superintendent overseeing police detainees.
Chiba Prefectural Police are remaining tight-lipped about the case.
"I refuse to comment about cases, including about whether I issued orders (to copy the movies)," the policeman under a cloud told the Mainichi.
Sources close to the case say police seized a cache of porn from a Funabashi wholesaler arrested for possession of indecent materials with intent to sale in September 2006. The detective selected several videos where the genitalia had not been blotted out with a digital mosaic and ordered an assistant inspector working under him to copy them. The videos were copied at the Funabashi Higashi Police Station, with several police officers witnessing the procedure and none of them stopping it from happening.
There is nothing illegal about watching pornographic DVDs copied by a third party, but materials seized as evidence in suspected crimes are controlled by police stations and individuals are strictly forbidden from removing these items.
Takeshi Domoto, a former prosecutor with the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office and now a professor of criminal law at Hakuoh University, said there is a risk the police could have broken the law.
"If he has shown the copied DVD to another person, there is a chance it may constitute proliferation of indecent images," the law expert said. "Police are forbidden from removing evidence for personal use and if the facts behind this case are correct, it suggests considerable laxity."
ＤＶＤ疑惑：刑事官、押収ポルノ複製させ持ち帰る 千葉
千葉県警船橋東署の刑事官だった警視＝現県警留置管理課管理官＝が、事件の証拠品であるポルノＤＶＤを署内で部下にダビングさせ、自宅へ持ち帰っていた疑いがあることが１４日、分かった。県警監察官室は元刑事官らの事情聴取に乗り出した。
関係者によると、ＤＶＤは０６年９月、船橋市の販売業者が同署にわいせつ図画販売目的所持容疑で逮捕された事件に関連して押収された。元刑事官はモザイク処理などをしていないＤＶＤ数本を、捜査を担当した警部補にダビングさせ、観賞用に自分で持ち帰った。ダビングは署内で行われ、複数の警察官が目撃していたが、制止しなかったという。
第三者がポルノＤＶＤをダビングし、個人で観賞するのは違法ではないとされるが、県警が押収した証拠品は、署内の倉庫などでの管理が本部長訓令で定められ、個人の持ち出しは禁止されている。
毎日新聞の取材に対し、元刑事官は「（ダビングを）指示をしたかどうかも含め、事件のことは話せない」と説明している。
▽元最高検検事の土本武司・白鴎大法科大学院教授（刑法）の話 ダビングしたＤＶＤを他人に見せていればわいせつ図画頒布罪の疑いがある。証拠品を私的目的で持ち出すことは禁止されており、事実であれば緊張感の緩みがあったと考えられる。
Mainichi
February 15, 2008
Police internal affairs officials are questioning the man, who is now a superintendent overseeing police detainees.
Chiba Prefectural Police are remaining tight-lipped about the case.
"I refuse to comment about cases, including about whether I issued orders (to copy the movies)," the policeman under a cloud told the Mainichi.
Sources close to the case say police seized a cache of porn from a Funabashi wholesaler arrested for possession of indecent materials with intent to sale in September 2006. The detective selected several videos where the genitalia had not been blotted out with a digital mosaic and ordered an assistant inspector working under him to copy them. The videos were copied at the Funabashi Higashi Police Station, with several police officers witnessing the procedure and none of them stopping it from happening.
There is nothing illegal about watching pornographic DVDs copied by a third party, but materials seized as evidence in suspected crimes are controlled by police stations and individuals are strictly forbidden from removing these items.
Takeshi Domoto, a former prosecutor with the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office and now a professor of criminal law at Hakuoh University, said there is a risk the police could have broken the law.
"If he has shown the copied DVD to another person, there is a chance it may constitute proliferation of indecent images," the law expert said. "Police are forbidden from removing evidence for personal use and if the facts behind this case are correct, it suggests considerable laxity."
ＤＶＤ疑惑：刑事官、押収ポルノ複製させ持ち帰る 千葉
千葉県警船橋東署の刑事官だった警視＝現県警留置管理課管理官＝が、事件の証拠品であるポルノＤＶＤを署内で部下にダビングさせ、自宅へ持ち帰っていた疑いがあることが１４日、分かった。県警監察官室は元刑事官らの事情聴取に乗り出した。
関係者によると、ＤＶＤは０６年９月、船橋市の販売業者が同署にわいせつ図画販売目的所持容疑で逮捕された事件に関連して押収された。元刑事官はモザイク処理などをしていないＤＶＤ数本を、捜査を担当した警部補にダビングさせ、観賞用に自分で持ち帰った。ダビングは署内で行われ、複数の警察官が目撃していたが、制止しなかったという。
第三者がポルノＤＶＤをダビングし、個人で観賞するのは違法ではないとされるが、県警が押収した証拠品は、署内の倉庫などでの管理が本部長訓令で定められ、個人の持ち出しは禁止されている。
毎日新聞の取材に対し、元刑事官は「（ダビングを）指示をしたかどうかも含め、事件のことは話せない」と説明している。
▽元最高検検事の土本武司・白鴎大法科大学院教授（刑法）の話 ダビングしたＤＶＤを他人に見せていればわいせつ図画頒布罪の疑いがある。証拠品を私的目的で持ち出すことは禁止されており、事実であれば緊張感の緩みがあったと考えられる。
Mainichi
February 15, 2008
Cop probed for copying seized obscene DVDs
The Yomiuri Shimbun
CHIBA--A police superintendent of the Chiba Prefectural Police Headquarters has been investigated on suspicion that he copied motion pictures from confiscated obscene DVDs and took them home, police sources said Saturday.
The officer, currently a director in the headquarters' division for detention cell control, is alleged to have copied the DVDs when he was a senior criminal investigator at Funabashi-Higashi Police Station.
Bringing out or copying evidence materials for private purposes are prohibited by an order from the prefectural police chief. The headquarters' inspector's office was investigating and considering whether to punish him, according to the sources.
The office suspected that the officer, who is in his 40s, copied data from several of the 7,000 DVDs that were confiscated from a rental video shop in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, in September 2006.
(Mar. 16, 2008)
CHIBA--A police superintendent of the Chiba Prefectural Police Headquarters has been investigated on suspicion that he copied motion pictures from confiscated obscene DVDs and took them home, police sources said Saturday.
The officer, currently a director in the headquarters' division for detention cell control, is alleged to have copied the DVDs when he was a senior criminal investigator at Funabashi-Higashi Police Station.
Bringing out or copying evidence materials for private purposes are prohibited by an order from the prefectural police chief. The headquarters' inspector's office was investigating and considering whether to punish him, according to the sources.
The office suspected that the officer, who is in his 40s, copied data from several of the 7,000 DVDs that were confiscated from a rental video shop in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, in September 2006.
(Mar. 16, 2008)
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Aichi cop arrested for swindling housewife
NAGOYA -- A police officer and his girlfriend were arrested on Tuesday for swindling a housewife out of 500,000 yen, police said.
Osami Kojima, 52, an assistant inspector at Anjo Police Station, and his girlfriend Mie Murase, 38, both residents of Tokai, Aichi Prefecture, stand accused of fraud.
Kojima has admitted to the allegations, saying, "I wanted money to enjoy myself," while Murase has given ambiguous statements, police said.
After learning that the 40-year-old housewife was having problems with a male acquaintance, Kojima called her, pretending to be him and asking her for cash, on Aug. 17 and 18, investigators allege.
The housewife consulted with Murase over the trouble, who told her, "You'd better just pay him off and not tell the police about it." Murase then told the victim that she would give the male acquaintance his "settlement money", and had the housewife transfer 500,000 yen to her account.
The housewife filed a criminal complaint with police in September last year, and the prefectural police suspected Kojima's involvement in the case. Kojima submitted a letter of resignation in December, but the prefectural police refused his request as he was likely to be subject to punishment.
"It is very regrettable that an incumbent police officer was arrested on fraud charges, and we deeply apologize to the prefectural residents," said Hiroshi Saito, head of the police affairs department of the Aichi Prefectural Police.
Kojima was employed as policeman in April 1979 and has worked for the security division of Anjo Police Station since October 2005.
詐欺：警部補が女と共謀 主婦から５０万円詐取 愛知
愛知県警安城署の警察官が交際相手の女と共謀して女の知人から５０万円をだまし取ったとして、県警は１１日、同県東海市横須賀町、同署警備課警部補、小島修身（おさみ）容疑者（５２）と、同市名和町３、無職、村瀬三恵容疑者（３８）を詐欺容疑で逮捕した。小島容疑者は女性のトラブルに付け込み女性を脅迫する一方、相談相手を装い、現金をだまし取ったという。
調べによると、小島容疑者は村瀬容疑者の知人の名古屋市南区の主婦（４０）を脅すなどして、０７年８月３１日午前７時半ごろ、村瀬容疑者の銀行口座に５０万円を振り込ませてだまし取った疑い。小島容疑者は「遊ぶ金がほしかった」と容疑を認め、村瀬容疑者はあいまいな供述をしているという。県警は安城署や小島容疑者の自宅などを家宅捜索する方針。
小島容疑者は、主婦が知人男性とのトラブルを抱えていることを知り、この男性になりすまし、同月１７日と１８日、主婦に「落とし前を付けろ」などと電話で現金を要求。一方、主婦から相談を受けた村瀬容疑者は同１８日、小島容疑者とともに主婦に会って「お金で解決できるならそうしたほうがいい。警察には言わないほうがいい」と「助言」。村瀬容疑者が現金を用意して知人男性に渡したように装い、村瀬容疑者の口座へ現金を振り込ませた。小島容疑者は自身が警察官であることを隠していた。
主婦は同年９月、被害届を提出。県警の捜査で、小島容疑者の関与が浮上した。小島容疑者は１２月、辞職願いを提出したが、県警は「処分対象になる可能性がある」として受理を保留していた。小島容疑者は７９年４月に採用され、０５年１０月から安城署警備課。【米川直己】
▽斉藤寛・警務部長の話 現職警察官が詐欺の罪で逮捕される事態に至ったことは誠に遺憾であり、県民に深くおわび申し上げる。
Mainichi
March 11, 2008
Osami Kojima, 52, an assistant inspector at Anjo Police Station, and his girlfriend Mie Murase, 38, both residents of Tokai, Aichi Prefecture, stand accused of fraud.
Kojima has admitted to the allegations, saying, "I wanted money to enjoy myself," while Murase has given ambiguous statements, police said.
After learning that the 40-year-old housewife was having problems with a male acquaintance, Kojima called her, pretending to be him and asking her for cash, on Aug. 17 and 18, investigators allege.
The housewife consulted with Murase over the trouble, who told her, "You'd better just pay him off and not tell the police about it." Murase then told the victim that she would give the male acquaintance his "settlement money", and had the housewife transfer 500,000 yen to her account.
The housewife filed a criminal complaint with police in September last year, and the prefectural police suspected Kojima's involvement in the case. Kojima submitted a letter of resignation in December, but the prefectural police refused his request as he was likely to be subject to punishment.
"It is very regrettable that an incumbent police officer was arrested on fraud charges, and we deeply apologize to the prefectural residents," said Hiroshi Saito, head of the police affairs department of the Aichi Prefectural Police.
Kojima was employed as policeman in April 1979 and has worked for the security division of Anjo Police Station since October 2005.
詐欺：警部補が女と共謀 主婦から５０万円詐取 愛知
愛知県警安城署の警察官が交際相手の女と共謀して女の知人から５０万円をだまし取ったとして、県警は１１日、同県東海市横須賀町、同署警備課警部補、小島修身（おさみ）容疑者（５２）と、同市名和町３、無職、村瀬三恵容疑者（３８）を詐欺容疑で逮捕した。小島容疑者は女性のトラブルに付け込み女性を脅迫する一方、相談相手を装い、現金をだまし取ったという。
調べによると、小島容疑者は村瀬容疑者の知人の名古屋市南区の主婦（４０）を脅すなどして、０７年８月３１日午前７時半ごろ、村瀬容疑者の銀行口座に５０万円を振り込ませてだまし取った疑い。小島容疑者は「遊ぶ金がほしかった」と容疑を認め、村瀬容疑者はあいまいな供述をしているという。県警は安城署や小島容疑者の自宅などを家宅捜索する方針。
小島容疑者は、主婦が知人男性とのトラブルを抱えていることを知り、この男性になりすまし、同月１７日と１８日、主婦に「落とし前を付けろ」などと電話で現金を要求。一方、主婦から相談を受けた村瀬容疑者は同１８日、小島容疑者とともに主婦に会って「お金で解決できるならそうしたほうがいい。警察には言わないほうがいい」と「助言」。村瀬容疑者が現金を用意して知人男性に渡したように装い、村瀬容疑者の口座へ現金を振り込ませた。小島容疑者は自身が警察官であることを隠していた。
主婦は同年９月、被害届を提出。県警の捜査で、小島容疑者の関与が浮上した。小島容疑者は１２月、辞職願いを提出したが、県警は「処分対象になる可能性がある」として受理を保留していた。小島容疑者は７９年４月に採用され、０５年１０月から安城署警備課。【米川直己】
▽斉藤寛・警務部長の話 現職警察官が詐欺の罪で逮捕される事態に至ったことは誠に遺憾であり、県民に深くおわび申し上げる。
Mainichi
March 11, 2008
Police station chief demoted for yanking woman's skirt at wedding
SAGA -- A police station head has been reprimanded for repeatedly pulling the skirt of a woman at a wedding reception and touching the shoulder of another woman on a bus in mid-January, prefectural police officials said.
Shigenori Enjoji, 58, director of Imari Police Station, has been relieved from his post and is expected to resign from the force at the end of this month.
However, prefectural police have stopped short of recognizing his actions as molestation or sexual harassment on the grounds that the women do not feel they were molested or harassed by him.
Enjoji apologized for his actions during questioning. "I'm sorry about what I did. I was slightly drunk and was fooling around too much," he was quoted as telling his bosses in reference to his actions at the wedding reception.
Enjoji pulled the skirt of a woman during a wedding reception in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture, in mid-January, officials said. He reportedly continued his actions even after another police officer who attended the reception attempted to stop him. Enjoji is also accused of touching the shoulder of a woman on a bus on the way home from the party.
He was not acquainted with his victims, police said.
佐賀県警：署長が女性のスカート引っ張り厳重注意
佐賀県警伊万里署の円城寺重憲署長（５８）が１月中旬、同県唐津市であった結婚披露宴で、女性のスカートを引っ張ったり、帰りのバスの中で別の女性の肩を触るなど、セクシュアルハラスメント（性的いやがらせ）とも受け取れる行為をしていたことが分かった。
県警は１０日、「不適切な行為」として円城寺署長を口頭厳重注意とした。円城寺署長は既に辞職願を提出しており、署長を解任された。退職願は３１日付で受理される見通し。
県警によると、円城寺署長は来賓として披露宴に出席。ウエディングケーキ入刀前後に面識のない女性のスカートを引っ張った。一緒に出席した警察官が止めた後も繰り返したという。さらに、帰りのバスの中で、前席に座った女性に「お疲れさま」などと声をかけ、肩を触った。女性が「痛い」と訴えたため、肩から手を離した。
円城寺署長はスカートの件については「酔いもあり、ふざけてしまった」と釈明。肩を触ったことについては「コミュニケーションのつもりだった」と弁解しているという。県警の事情聴取に事実関係を認め「申し訳ない」と話しているという。
県警は「女性の被害感情がない」などとして、わいせつやセクハラ行為とは認めないとしている。県警の糸山正文首席監察官は「職員指導を徹底したい」と話した。【高芝菜穂子】
Mainichi
March 11, 2008
Shigenori Enjoji, 58, director of Imari Police Station, has been relieved from his post and is expected to resign from the force at the end of this month.
However, prefectural police have stopped short of recognizing his actions as molestation or sexual harassment on the grounds that the women do not feel they were molested or harassed by him.
Enjoji apologized for his actions during questioning. "I'm sorry about what I did. I was slightly drunk and was fooling around too much," he was quoted as telling his bosses in reference to his actions at the wedding reception.
Enjoji pulled the skirt of a woman during a wedding reception in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture, in mid-January, officials said. He reportedly continued his actions even after another police officer who attended the reception attempted to stop him. Enjoji is also accused of touching the shoulder of a woman on a bus on the way home from the party.
He was not acquainted with his victims, police said.
佐賀県警：署長が女性のスカート引っ張り厳重注意
佐賀県警伊万里署の円城寺重憲署長（５８）が１月中旬、同県唐津市であった結婚披露宴で、女性のスカートを引っ張ったり、帰りのバスの中で別の女性の肩を触るなど、セクシュアルハラスメント（性的いやがらせ）とも受け取れる行為をしていたことが分かった。
県警は１０日、「不適切な行為」として円城寺署長を口頭厳重注意とした。円城寺署長は既に辞職願を提出しており、署長を解任された。退職願は３１日付で受理される見通し。
県警によると、円城寺署長は来賓として披露宴に出席。ウエディングケーキ入刀前後に面識のない女性のスカートを引っ張った。一緒に出席した警察官が止めた後も繰り返したという。さらに、帰りのバスの中で、前席に座った女性に「お疲れさま」などと声をかけ、肩を触った。女性が「痛い」と訴えたため、肩から手を離した。
円城寺署長はスカートの件については「酔いもあり、ふざけてしまった」と釈明。肩を触ったことについては「コミュニケーションのつもりだった」と弁解しているという。県警の事情聴取に事実関係を認め「申し訳ない」と話しているという。
県警は「女性の被害感情がない」などとして、わいせつやセクハラ行為とは認めないとしている。県警の糸山正文首席監察官は「職員指導を徹底したい」と話した。【高芝菜穂子】
Mainichi
March 11, 2008
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Man arrested after cooperating in sting operation files damages lawsuit
SAGA -- A man who alerted police that his friends were planning a robbery and participated in a sting operation, only to be arrested and detained, has sued the Saga Prefectural Government, demanding damages.
Kazuhiro Hara, 36, is demanding 3.3 million yen in compensation from the prefectural government in the lawsuit filed in the Saga District Court. The lawsuit says he was detained, despite cooperating in the police investigation, and that police gave a false report after his arrest.
Hara learned that his friends were planning a robbery on July 21, 2007, and purchased a balaclava as they instructed him. However, he reported the planned crime to police on July 28.
When investigators heard about the scheme from Hara, one of them told him, "We want you to go ahead with it as planned." At the time, Hara wasn't intending to commit a robbery, and had removed the robbery equipment -- a crowbar and balaclava -- from his vehicle. When he asked if that was all right, police told him they needed him to have the equipment in the vehicle, so he replaced the items.
That afternoon, Hara drove to an area near a house that his friends were targeting, where police arrested him along with three others. On July 29, police announced they had arrested five people, including Hara, on suspicion of preparing for a robbery.
In his lawsuit, Hara said he had not acted deliberately in preparing for the robbery, and the reason he drove out in his car was that police had asked him to. He added that the police statement to the media about his arrest, with regard to him, was false.
"He was made to participate in an illegal sting operation," a lawyer for Hara said.
A prefectural police spokesman commenting on the case defended investigators' actions.
"Suspicious of preparing for a robbery arose at the time he bought the balaclava, and the arrest was appropriate. The arrest and announcement were done to ensure that the other four people didn't find out that he had reported the matter to police, and were aimed at protecting him," the police official said.
おとり捜査：佐賀県警に協力も逮捕 起訴猶予の男性提訴
佐賀県警に昨年７月に強盗予備の疑いで逮捕された後、起訴猶予となった佐賀市兵庫町渕の中古車販売業、原一弘さん（３６）が７日、「捜査に協力したのに身柄を拘束され、虚偽の発表をされた」として、県に３３０万円の損害賠償を求めて佐賀地裁に提訴した。
訴状などによると、原さんは０７年７月２１日、友人らが強盗を計画していることを知り、指示され目出し帽を購入した。しかし、犯行をやめさせようと同２８日、佐賀署に計画を知らせた。
捜査員は、原さんの話を聞くと「予定通り（計画を）進めてほしい」と要請。当時、原さんは強盗をしようと思っておらず、車からバールや目出し帽を降ろしていた。そのままでいいかを尋ねたところ、捜査員から「載せておいてくれないと困る」などと言われ、再び車に戻したという。
原さんは同日午後、友人が狙っていた民家近くに車で行って他の３人と共に逮捕された。佐賀署は２９日、強盗予備の疑いで原さんを含む５人を逮捕したと発表した。
原さん側は訴状で「強盗予備には故意性がないうえ、車で出かけたのも警察から求められたため」と主張。そのうえで「（他の逮捕者と）共犯関係になることはあり得ない。記者発表は原告に関しては虚偽だ」としている。原さんの弁護士は「違法なおとり捜査に協力させられた」と話している。
県警刑事部の江口民雄管理官は「目出し帽を買った時点で強盗予備容疑があり、逮捕は適正だった。逮捕や発表には、他の４人に通報したことを分からなくする身辺保護の狙いがあった」と話している。【高芝菜穂子】
Mainichi
March 8, 2008
Kazuhiro Hara, 36, is demanding 3.3 million yen in compensation from the prefectural government in the lawsuit filed in the Saga District Court. The lawsuit says he was detained, despite cooperating in the police investigation, and that police gave a false report after his arrest.
Hara learned that his friends were planning a robbery on July 21, 2007, and purchased a balaclava as they instructed him. However, he reported the planned crime to police on July 28.
When investigators heard about the scheme from Hara, one of them told him, "We want you to go ahead with it as planned." At the time, Hara wasn't intending to commit a robbery, and had removed the robbery equipment -- a crowbar and balaclava -- from his vehicle. When he asked if that was all right, police told him they needed him to have the equipment in the vehicle, so he replaced the items.
That afternoon, Hara drove to an area near a house that his friends were targeting, where police arrested him along with three others. On July 29, police announced they had arrested five people, including Hara, on suspicion of preparing for a robbery.
In his lawsuit, Hara said he had not acted deliberately in preparing for the robbery, and the reason he drove out in his car was that police had asked him to. He added that the police statement to the media about his arrest, with regard to him, was false.
"He was made to participate in an illegal sting operation," a lawyer for Hara said.
A prefectural police spokesman commenting on the case defended investigators' actions.
"Suspicious of preparing for a robbery arose at the time he bought the balaclava, and the arrest was appropriate. The arrest and announcement were done to ensure that the other four people didn't find out that he had reported the matter to police, and were aimed at protecting him," the police official said.
おとり捜査：佐賀県警に協力も逮捕 起訴猶予の男性提訴
佐賀県警に昨年７月に強盗予備の疑いで逮捕された後、起訴猶予となった佐賀市兵庫町渕の中古車販売業、原一弘さん（３６）が７日、「捜査に協力したのに身柄を拘束され、虚偽の発表をされた」として、県に３３０万円の損害賠償を求めて佐賀地裁に提訴した。
訴状などによると、原さんは０７年７月２１日、友人らが強盗を計画していることを知り、指示され目出し帽を購入した。しかし、犯行をやめさせようと同２８日、佐賀署に計画を知らせた。
捜査員は、原さんの話を聞くと「予定通り（計画を）進めてほしい」と要請。当時、原さんは強盗をしようと思っておらず、車からバールや目出し帽を降ろしていた。そのままでいいかを尋ねたところ、捜査員から「載せておいてくれないと困る」などと言われ、再び車に戻したという。
原さんは同日午後、友人が狙っていた民家近くに車で行って他の３人と共に逮捕された。佐賀署は２９日、強盗予備の疑いで原さんを含む５人を逮捕したと発表した。
原さん側は訴状で「強盗予備には故意性がないうえ、車で出かけたのも警察から求められたため」と主張。そのうえで「（他の逮捕者と）共犯関係になることはあり得ない。記者発表は原告に関しては虚偽だ」としている。原さんの弁護士は「違法なおとり捜査に協力させられた」と話している。
県警刑事部の江口民雄管理官は「目出し帽を買った時点で強盗予備容疑があり、逮捕は適正だった。逮捕や発表には、他の４人に通報したことを分からなくする身辺保護の狙いがあった」と話している。【高芝菜穂子】
Mainichi
March 8, 2008
High-handed Tokyo cop busted for abusing power to get free massages
A police officer has been arrested for forcing a masseuse to give him a massage free of charge by threatening to accuse her of illegal business practices, Tokyo police officials said Saturday.
Kazuzo Watanabe, 57, an assistant inspector at the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), stands accused of compulsion and abuse of authority as a public officer.
The MPD is apologetic about the incident. "It was an act unworthy of a police officer. We apologize to the victim and intend to take strict punitive measures against the officer," an MPD spokesman said.
Watanabe summoned the woman to a police station in October and told her to give him her mobile phone number and e-mail address, telling her that the information was necessary to confirm the legitimacy of her business practices, MPD officials said.
He then threatened to report her business to prosecutors for illegal business practices, and received massages from her on two occasions without paying, according to investigators.
Watanabe subsequently sent her more than 10 e-mails to her asking her to date him, forcing the woman to close her business.
強要：警視庁警部補が女性脅し無料マッサージ 交際も迫る
警視庁は７日、女性を脅して無料でマッサージをさせたなどとして、蔵前署刑事生活安全組織犯罪対策課係長（警部補）、渡辺和三（かずぞう）容疑者（５７）＝東京都狛江市岩戸南４＝を強要と公務員職権乱用容疑で逮捕したと発表した。
調べでは、渡辺容疑者は昨年１０月、マッサージ店（台東区）経営の３０代女性を署に呼び出し、営業実態の把握を装い携帯電話の番号やメールアドレスを聞き出した。「取り締まるぞ」などと脅し、一般マッサージを２回無料でさせた疑い。
渡辺容疑者は交際に応じるよう迫り、十数回メールを送信していた。女性は「警察を敵に回したくなかった」などと話しているという。ショックなどから閉店した。
▽中村格警務部参事官の話 警察官にあるまじき行為で極めて遺憾だ。被害者におわびするとともに、厳正に対処したい。
Mainichi
March 7, 2008
Kazuzo Watanabe, 57, an assistant inspector at the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), stands accused of compulsion and abuse of authority as a public officer.
The MPD is apologetic about the incident. "It was an act unworthy of a police officer. We apologize to the victim and intend to take strict punitive measures against the officer," an MPD spokesman said.
Watanabe summoned the woman to a police station in October and told her to give him her mobile phone number and e-mail address, telling her that the information was necessary to confirm the legitimacy of her business practices, MPD officials said.
He then threatened to report her business to prosecutors for illegal business practices, and received massages from her on two occasions without paying, according to investigators.
Watanabe subsequently sent her more than 10 e-mails to her asking her to date him, forcing the woman to close her business.
強要：警視庁警部補が女性脅し無料マッサージ 交際も迫る
警視庁は７日、女性を脅して無料でマッサージをさせたなどとして、蔵前署刑事生活安全組織犯罪対策課係長（警部補）、渡辺和三（かずぞう）容疑者（５７）＝東京都狛江市岩戸南４＝を強要と公務員職権乱用容疑で逮捕したと発表した。
調べでは、渡辺容疑者は昨年１０月、マッサージ店（台東区）経営の３０代女性を署に呼び出し、営業実態の把握を装い携帯電話の番号やメールアドレスを聞き出した。「取り締まるぞ」などと脅し、一般マッサージを２回無料でさせた疑い。
渡辺容疑者は交際に応じるよう迫り、十数回メールを送信していた。女性は「警察を敵に回したくなかった」などと話しているという。ショックなどから閉店した。
▽中村格警務部参事官の話 警察官にあるまじき行為で極めて遺憾だ。被害者におわびするとともに、厳正に対処したい。
Mainichi
March 7, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Police investigator suspected of peeping into neighbor's home
FUKUOKA -- A police investigator arrested for sneaking onto the balcony of a neighboring apartment is suspected of peeping into the victim's home, investigators said.
Kozo Yanaga, 31, a senior officer at Fukuoka Prefectural Police's second investigation division, stands accused of trespassing. Prefectural police are grilling him over the motives for his crime.
Yanaga sneaked onto the balcony of a public servant's apartment next to his room in Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, on a number of occasions between the night of Feb. 24 and the morning of Feb. 26, local police said.
The civil servant in his 30s and his wife reported to police that a beer can containing cigarette butts was abandoned on the balcony of their apartment. Prefectural police arrested Yanaga after matching his DNA with that on the cigarette butts.
Yanaga is single and lived in the apartment alone, according to the prefectural police's inspection office.
警官侵入：隣家のベランダに のぞき見目的か 福岡
福岡県警監察官室は３日、自宅マンションの隣室のベランダに侵入したとして、福岡市東区貝塚団地、県警捜査２課巡査長、弥永耕三容疑者（３１）を住居侵入容疑で逮捕した。監察官室はのぞき目的だった可能性もあるとみて調べている。
調べでは、弥永容疑者は２月２４日午後７時～２６日午前１１時ごろ、マンション４階自室の隣に住む３０代の男性公務員方のベランダに侵入した疑い。公務員夫婦が２７日夜、「ベランダに覚えのないたばこの吸い殻が入ったビール缶が置いてある」と福岡・東署に届け出た。その後の捜査で吸い殻などに付着した唾液などのＤＮＡ型が弥永容疑者のものと一致した。監察官室によると、弥永容疑者は独身で１人暮らし。
Mainichi
March 4, 2008
Kozo Yanaga, 31, a senior officer at Fukuoka Prefectural Police's second investigation division, stands accused of trespassing. Prefectural police are grilling him over the motives for his crime.
Yanaga sneaked onto the balcony of a public servant's apartment next to his room in Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, on a number of occasions between the night of Feb. 24 and the morning of Feb. 26, local police said.
The civil servant in his 30s and his wife reported to police that a beer can containing cigarette butts was abandoned on the balcony of their apartment. Prefectural police arrested Yanaga after matching his DNA with that on the cigarette butts.
Yanaga is single and lived in the apartment alone, according to the prefectural police's inspection office.
警官侵入：隣家のベランダに のぞき見目的か 福岡
福岡県警監察官室は３日、自宅マンションの隣室のベランダに侵入したとして、福岡市東区貝塚団地、県警捜査２課巡査長、弥永耕三容疑者（３１）を住居侵入容疑で逮捕した。監察官室はのぞき目的だった可能性もあるとみて調べている。
調べでは、弥永容疑者は２月２４日午後７時～２６日午前１１時ごろ、マンション４階自室の隣に住む３０代の男性公務員方のベランダに侵入した疑い。公務員夫婦が２７日夜、「ベランダに覚えのないたばこの吸い殻が入ったビール缶が置いてある」と福岡・東署に届け出た。その後の捜査で吸い殻などに付着した唾液などのＤＮＡ型が弥永容疑者のものと一致した。監察官室によると、弥永容疑者は独身で１人暮らし。
Mainichi
March 4, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Police officer faces punishment for drawing loaded gun at 3 boys
A Tokyo police officer faces punishment for drawing his loaded gun on Tuesday when he ordered three boys to go home, police officials said.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Personnel and Training Bureau is questioning the 27-year-old officer, suspecting his actions constitute violence and cruelty by a special public officer.
"His actions can't be recognized as appropriate use of a weapon. We'll take severe punitive measures against him," a bureau official said.
He admitted to the allegations. "I thought I had no choice but to instruct the defiant boys in a high-handed manner. I'm sorry," he was quoted as saying during questioning.
The incident occurred in the Takinogawa district of Kita-ku, Tokyo, at around 8:35 p.m. on Tuesday, investigators said.
The officer rushed to the scene after receiving a call from a local resident complaining three boys were talking loudly near an intersection. He urged the boys to leave the scene, but they sat down again on the road about 10 meters away from the intersection.
The officer then approached the boys and drew his loaded gun. At the time, the officer was only 50 centimeters to one meter away from them.
The incident came to light after the boys complained to a local police station that the officer pointed his gun at them.
The officer denied that he touched the trigger of the gun. Investigators are questioning him over the details of the incident, including whether he actually pointed the gun at the boys.
警視庁：男性巡査長が路上の少年３人に拳銃抜く
警視庁警務部は、滝野川署地域課の男性巡査長（２７）が２６日夜、路上にいた少年３人に拳銃を抜いて立ち去るよう命じたと２７日、発表した。警務部は特別公務員暴行陵虐容疑で巡査長から事情を聴き、銃口を向けたかどうかなどについて慎重に調べている。巡査長は調べに「少年の態度が改まらなかったので強く出なければと思った。申し訳ない」などと供述しているという。
調べでは、巡査長は２６日午後８時３５分ごろ、東京都北区滝野川２の区道交差点付近に座り込んでいた１７歳の防水作業員ら少年３人に対し、実弾が装てんされている拳銃を抜いたという。「大声で話をしてうるさい」との１１０番を受けて駆けつけた。談笑する少年らに立ち去るように指示したが、約１０メートル先の路上で再び座り込むなどしたため、１メートル～５０センチの至近距離で拳銃を抜いたとみられる。
少年らが直後、滝野川署に「拳銃を向けられた」と訴えて発覚。巡査長は「引き金には指を入れていない」などと話しているという。巡査長は０３年１０月から現職場で、少年らとは初対面だった。
中村格警務部参事官は「武器の適正な使用にはあたらず、厳正に対処する」と話している。
Mainichi
February 27, 2008
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Personnel and Training Bureau is questioning the 27-year-old officer, suspecting his actions constitute violence and cruelty by a special public officer.
"His actions can't be recognized as appropriate use of a weapon. We'll take severe punitive measures against him," a bureau official said.
He admitted to the allegations. "I thought I had no choice but to instruct the defiant boys in a high-handed manner. I'm sorry," he was quoted as saying during questioning.
The incident occurred in the Takinogawa district of Kita-ku, Tokyo, at around 8:35 p.m. on Tuesday, investigators said.
The officer rushed to the scene after receiving a call from a local resident complaining three boys were talking loudly near an intersection. He urged the boys to leave the scene, but they sat down again on the road about 10 meters away from the intersection.
The officer then approached the boys and drew his loaded gun. At the time, the officer was only 50 centimeters to one meter away from them.
The incident came to light after the boys complained to a local police station that the officer pointed his gun at them.
The officer denied that he touched the trigger of the gun. Investigators are questioning him over the details of the incident, including whether he actually pointed the gun at the boys.
警視庁：男性巡査長が路上の少年３人に拳銃抜く
警視庁警務部は、滝野川署地域課の男性巡査長（２７）が２６日夜、路上にいた少年３人に拳銃を抜いて立ち去るよう命じたと２７日、発表した。警務部は特別公務員暴行陵虐容疑で巡査長から事情を聴き、銃口を向けたかどうかなどについて慎重に調べている。巡査長は調べに「少年の態度が改まらなかったので強く出なければと思った。申し訳ない」などと供述しているという。
調べでは、巡査長は２６日午後８時３５分ごろ、東京都北区滝野川２の区道交差点付近に座り込んでいた１７歳の防水作業員ら少年３人に対し、実弾が装てんされている拳銃を抜いたという。「大声で話をしてうるさい」との１１０番を受けて駆けつけた。談笑する少年らに立ち去るように指示したが、約１０メートル先の路上で再び座り込むなどしたため、１メートル～５０センチの至近距離で拳銃を抜いたとみられる。
少年らが直後、滝野川署に「拳銃を向けられた」と訴えて発覚。巡査長は「引き金には指を入れていない」などと話しているという。巡査長は０３年１０月から現職場で、少年らとは初対面だった。
中村格警務部参事官は「武器の適正な使用にはあたらず、厳正に対処する」と話している。
Mainichi
February 27, 2008
Cop nabbed for causing accident while riding motorcycle drunk
HANNAN, Osaka -- A mid-ranking police officer has been arrested for causing a traffic accident while riding a motorcycle under the influence of alcohol, police said.
Mitsuyoshi Sumida, 54, an assistant inspector at Joto Police Station in Osaka, is accused of violating the Road Traffic Law.
At around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sumida was riding his motorcycle on a municipal road in Hannan when he fell down, crashing the bike into an oncoming car, local police said.
Sumida suffered slight injuries to his face while a 56-year-old woman who was driving the car was not wounded.
Officers took him into custody after a breath test found that he had been riding the motorcycle under the influence of alcohol.
After completing night duty, Sumida drank two cups of sake on a train on his way home at around 2 p.m., and shortly after arriving home, he rode his motorcycle, according to investigators.
酒気帯び運転：バイクで外出、事故…警部補を逮捕 大阪
２７日午後５時ごろ、大阪府阪南市石田の市道で、同市光陽台、府警城東署地域課警部補、隅田光義容疑者（５４）運転のバイクが転倒して滑走し、対向車線を走っていた市内の主婦（５６）運転の乗用車に衝突した。隅田容疑者は顔に擦り傷の軽傷、主婦にけがはなかった。隅田容疑者から呼気１リットル中０．１５ミリグラムのアルコール分が検出され、府警泉南署が道交法違反（酒気帯び）容疑で現行犯逮捕した。
調べでは、隅田容疑者は宿直明けで帰宅途中の２７日午後２時ごろ、電車の駅でカップ酒２本を飲み帰宅。「用事がある」としてバイクで外出した。
Mainichi
February 27, 2008
Mitsuyoshi Sumida, 54, an assistant inspector at Joto Police Station in Osaka, is accused of violating the Road Traffic Law.
At around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sumida was riding his motorcycle on a municipal road in Hannan when he fell down, crashing the bike into an oncoming car, local police said.
Sumida suffered slight injuries to his face while a 56-year-old woman who was driving the car was not wounded.
Officers took him into custody after a breath test found that he had been riding the motorcycle under the influence of alcohol.
After completing night duty, Sumida drank two cups of sake on a train on his way home at around 2 p.m., and shortly after arriving home, he rode his motorcycle, according to investigators.
酒気帯び運転：バイクで外出、事故…警部補を逮捕 大阪
２７日午後５時ごろ、大阪府阪南市石田の市道で、同市光陽台、府警城東署地域課警部補、隅田光義容疑者（５４）運転のバイクが転倒して滑走し、対向車線を走っていた市内の主婦（５６）運転の乗用車に衝突した。隅田容疑者は顔に擦り傷の軽傷、主婦にけがはなかった。隅田容疑者から呼気１リットル中０．１５ミリグラムのアルコール分が検出され、府警泉南署が道交法違反（酒気帯び）容疑で現行犯逮捕した。
調べでは、隅田容疑者は宿直明けで帰宅途中の２７日午後２時ごろ、電車の駅でカップ酒２本を飲み帰宅。「用事がある」としてバイクで外出した。
Mainichi
February 27, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Senior cop handed two year prison sentence for molesting woman in cell
CHIBA -- A former police officer accused of performing indecent acts with a detained 22-year-old woman in a cell was handed a two-year prison sentence in a ruling at the Chiba District Court on Tuesday.
Handed the sentence was 26-year-old Kenji Nakamura, a former senior officer at Urayasu Police Station in Chiba Prefecture. Nakamura stood accused of violence and abusive treatment by a special public officer.
"It is evident that he repeatedly performed indecent acts with women, and his responsibility for causing a loss of trust in the police is heavy," Judge Takanori Hikosaka said.
Nakamura was accused of hugging a woman in a detention cell and fondling her breasts and private parts on two occasions last year -- at about 12:15 a.m. on Feb. 8 and 1:15 p.m. on March 15. The officer was sacked over his actions.
わいせつ行為：元警官に懲役２年 千葉地裁判決
留置場で拘置中の女性（２２）にわいせつな行為をしたとして、特別公務員暴行陵虐罪に問われた元千葉県警浦安署巡査長、中村憲司被告（２６）＝懲戒免職処分＝に対し、千葉地裁（彦坂孝孔裁判官）は１９日、懲役２年（求刑同３年）を言い渡した。彦坂裁判官は「女性へのわいせつ行為を繰り返していたとうかがわれ、警察への信頼を損ねた責任は重い」と述べた。
判決によると、中村被告は同署警務課留置係だった昨年２月８日午前０時１５分ごろと３月１５日午後１時１５分ごろ、留置場内で女性を抱きしめ、胸や下半身を触るなどした。県警監察官室は「再発防止に努める」とコメントした。【寺田剛】
February 19, 2008
Mainichi
Handed the sentence was 26-year-old Kenji Nakamura, a former senior officer at Urayasu Police Station in Chiba Prefecture. Nakamura stood accused of violence and abusive treatment by a special public officer.
"It is evident that he repeatedly performed indecent acts with women, and his responsibility for causing a loss of trust in the police is heavy," Judge Takanori Hikosaka said.
Nakamura was accused of hugging a woman in a detention cell and fondling her breasts and private parts on two occasions last year -- at about 12:15 a.m. on Feb. 8 and 1:15 p.m. on March 15. The officer was sacked over his actions.
わいせつ行為：元警官に懲役２年 千葉地裁判決
留置場で拘置中の女性（２２）にわいせつな行為をしたとして、特別公務員暴行陵虐罪に問われた元千葉県警浦安署巡査長、中村憲司被告（２６）＝懲戒免職処分＝に対し、千葉地裁（彦坂孝孔裁判官）は１９日、懲役２年（求刑同３年）を言い渡した。彦坂裁判官は「女性へのわいせつ行為を繰り返していたとうかがわれ、警察への信頼を損ねた責任は重い」と述べた。
判決によると、中村被告は同署警務課留置係だった昨年２月８日午前０時１５分ごろと３月１５日午後１時１５分ごろ、留置場内で女性を抱きしめ、胸や下半身を触るなどした。県警監察官室は「再発防止に努める」とコメントした。【寺田剛】
February 19, 2008
Mainichi
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Cop faces arrest for placing camera in restaurant toilet
NABARI, Mie -- A policeman in his 20s allegedly installed a video camera inside a bathroom at a restaurant here, it was revealed on Tuesday.
Police plan to send papers to prosecutors accusing a male officer from Nabari Police Station in Mie Prefecture of violating the prefecture's nuisance prevention ordinance after they confirm the allegations against the cop who allegedly set up a video camera inside a bathroom at a local restaurant.
The disgraced policeman has reportedly admitted to the allegations.
According to Mie Prefectural Police, the case surfaced after the restaurant reported to police that they found a video camera inside the bathroom earlier this year.
The video camera had failed to take any pictures inside the toilet, police said.
盗撮：三重県警の巡査がトイレにビデオカメラ設置か
三重県警名張署（三重県名張市）の２０歳代の男性巡査が、同署管内の飲食店の男女共用トイレに盗撮目的でビデオカメラを設置した疑いがあることが１９日分かった。同署と県警監察課が調べており、県迷惑防止条例違反（盗撮）などの容疑が固まり次第、書類送検して処分する方針だ。
県警監察課によると、今年、ビデオカメラを発見した店側からの連絡で発覚した。撮影には失敗していたという。調べに対し男性巡査は、盗撮目的でビデオカメラを設置したことを認めているという。【飯田和樹】
February 19, 2008
Mainichi
Police plan to send papers to prosecutors accusing a male officer from Nabari Police Station in Mie Prefecture of violating the prefecture's nuisance prevention ordinance after they confirm the allegations against the cop who allegedly set up a video camera inside a bathroom at a local restaurant.
The disgraced policeman has reportedly admitted to the allegations.
According to Mie Prefectural Police, the case surfaced after the restaurant reported to police that they found a video camera inside the bathroom earlier this year.
The video camera had failed to take any pictures inside the toilet, police said.
盗撮：三重県警の巡査がトイレにビデオカメラ設置か
三重県警名張署（三重県名張市）の２０歳代の男性巡査が、同署管内の飲食店の男女共用トイレに盗撮目的でビデオカメラを設置した疑いがあることが１９日分かった。同署と県警監察課が調べており、県迷惑防止条例違反（盗撮）などの容疑が固まり次第、書類送検して処分する方針だ。
県警監察課によると、今年、ビデオカメラを発見した店側からの連絡で発覚した。撮影には失敗していたという。調べに対し男性巡査は、盗撮目的でビデオカメラを設置したことを認めているという。【飯田和樹】
February 19, 2008
Mainichi
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Cop accidentally fires gun in police box
CHIGASAKI, Kanagawa -- A police officer accidentally shot a closet while examining his firearm at a police box here on Monday, police said.
At around 12:45 a.m. on Monday, a 46-year-old sergeant was examining his gun at a police box in Chigasaki when he mistakenly pulled the trigger, local police said, firing a bullet was fired into the wall inside a closet.
The sergeant and four of his family members, who were in the police box's living quarters, were not injured in the incident.
A representative of a local police station said,"We'll step up training on gun handling to try and prevent a recurrence."
拳銃誤射：駐在所の巡査部長、点検中に…けが人なし
１１日午前０時４５分ごろ、神奈川県茅ケ崎市東海岸南２の県警茅ケ崎署東海岸駐在所１階居間で、駐在所勤務の男性巡査部長（４６）が拳銃を点検中に誤って引き金をひき、弾丸１発が押し入れのベニヤ板にめりこんだ。駐在所には巡査部長のほか家族４人がいたが、けが人はなかった。
調べでは、巡査部長は左手で持ったホルスターに、拳銃を右手で入れようとした際、誤って引き金をひいたという。栃木県警の警察官が交番で拳銃自殺を図ったニュースをテレビで見て、拳銃を確認しようと思い立ったらしい。茅ケ崎署の野添義秀副署長は「拳銃の取り扱いの指導を徹底し、再発防止を図りたい」と話した。【内橋寿明】
Mainichi
February 12, 2008
At around 12:45 a.m. on Monday, a 46-year-old sergeant was examining his gun at a police box in Chigasaki when he mistakenly pulled the trigger, local police said, firing a bullet was fired into the wall inside a closet.
The sergeant and four of his family members, who were in the police box's living quarters, were not injured in the incident.
A representative of a local police station said,"We'll step up training on gun handling to try and prevent a recurrence."
拳銃誤射：駐在所の巡査部長、点検中に…けが人なし
１１日午前０時４５分ごろ、神奈川県茅ケ崎市東海岸南２の県警茅ケ崎署東海岸駐在所１階居間で、駐在所勤務の男性巡査部長（４６）が拳銃を点検中に誤って引き金をひき、弾丸１発が押し入れのベニヤ板にめりこんだ。駐在所には巡査部長のほか家族４人がいたが、けが人はなかった。
調べでは、巡査部長は左手で持ったホルスターに、拳銃を右手で入れようとした際、誤って引き金をひいたという。栃木県警の警察官が交番で拳銃自殺を図ったニュースをテレビで見て、拳銃を確認しようと思い立ったらしい。茅ケ崎署の野添義秀副署長は「拳銃の取り扱いの指導を徹底し、再発防止を図りたい」と話した。【内橋寿明】
Mainichi
February 12, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
Yomiuri suspends writer for no effort
02/01/2008
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
KANAZAWA--A reporter of The Yomiuri Shimbun was suspended for a month for writing an article about Kanazawa University without contacting the school to confirm information, the publisher said Thursday.
The 30-year-old journalist, who works at the daily newspaper's Kanazawa branch office, wrote the story based solely on data available on the Internet.
He included information from The Asahi Shimbun's asahi.com online news service and materials released on the Web sites of the university and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
The article, which was carried on the local news page of the Jan. 27 issue, was about a male professor and a female associate professor who had obtained academic degrees from an unauthorized U.S. university.
The article said the two had claimed the titles as part of their academic backgrounds when they were promoted to their current posts.
The reporter quoted the university as saying that it was not considering disciplinary measures because it put more weight on achievements when deciding on the promotions.
The case surfaced after Kanazawa University protested to the publisher, saying the article contained comments from the university which it did not make to the newspaper, according to the public relations department of the daily's Tokyo head office.
The company also said that it plans to discipline the branch office chief for insufficient supervision of the subordinate reporter.
In the in-house investigation, the reporter explained that he attempted to get in touch with the university but he could not do so because it was Saturday, the publisher said.
In a statement, the publisher said the reporter's behavior was unacceptable for a journalist and that the Yomiuri would implement better training of its reporters to prevent a recurrence.
The company apologized to its readers and those affiliated with the university.
However, it denied the article was fabricated or included quotations without permission.
The university said in the released comment that it was discussing whether to accept the official apology and the company's explanation.
(IHT/Asahi: February 1,2008)
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
KANAZAWA--A reporter of The Yomiuri Shimbun was suspended for a month for writing an article about Kanazawa University without contacting the school to confirm information, the publisher said Thursday.
The 30-year-old journalist, who works at the daily newspaper's Kanazawa branch office, wrote the story based solely on data available on the Internet.
He included information from The Asahi Shimbun's asahi.com online news service and materials released on the Web sites of the university and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
The article, which was carried on the local news page of the Jan. 27 issue, was about a male professor and a female associate professor who had obtained academic degrees from an unauthorized U.S. university.
The article said the two had claimed the titles as part of their academic backgrounds when they were promoted to their current posts.
The reporter quoted the university as saying that it was not considering disciplinary measures because it put more weight on achievements when deciding on the promotions.
The case surfaced after Kanazawa University protested to the publisher, saying the article contained comments from the university which it did not make to the newspaper, according to the public relations department of the daily's Tokyo head office.
The company also said that it plans to discipline the branch office chief for insufficient supervision of the subordinate reporter.
In the in-house investigation, the reporter explained that he attempted to get in touch with the university but he could not do so because it was Saturday, the publisher said.
In a statement, the publisher said the reporter's behavior was unacceptable for a journalist and that the Yomiuri would implement better training of its reporters to prevent a recurrence.
The company apologized to its readers and those affiliated with the university.
However, it denied the article was fabricated or included quotations without permission.
The university said in the released comment that it was discussing whether to accept the official apology and the company's explanation.
(IHT/Asahi: February 1,2008)
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Yamaguchi police sergeant arrested for child prostitution
YAMAGUCHI -- A 33-year-old police sergeant who paid a 16-year-old girl to engage in obscene behavior with her at a hotel has been arrested, law enforcers said.
Yamaguchi Prefectural Police arrested the 33-year-old officer, Takayuki Saeki, on suspicion of violating the law banning child pornography and child prostitution. He has reportedly admitted to the allegations against him.
"I did something terrible. I don't have any excuses," police quoted the officer as saying.
Investigators said Saeki paid a 16-year-old girl 15,000 yen to engage in obscene behavior with her at a hotel in Hofu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in late June last year, despite knowing that she was under the age of 18.
The prefectural police inspection office said police received an anonymous e-mail at the beginning of this month, saying that Saeki was involved in child prostitution. The sergeant had reportedly known the girl for some time. Police suspended Saeki on Jan. 9.
The 33-year-old sergeant took up his job in 1992. He had been working at a police box after being transferred to Shimonoseki Police Station in April 2006.
Chief administrative inspector Sadao Ishida said the matter would be dealt with strictly.
"It was behavior unworthy of a police officer, and we deeply apologize to prefectural residents," he said. "We will carry out strict disciplinary measures following an investigation into the facts."
児童買春：山口・下関署巡査部長を逮捕
少女に現金を渡してみだらな行為をしたとして、山口県警は２９日、同県警下関署地域課巡査部長、佐伯隆之容疑者（３３）＝同県下関市王司川端１＝を児童買春・児童ポルノ禁止法違反容疑で逮捕した。
調べでは、佐伯容疑者は昨年６月下旬、同県防府市のホテルで、１８歳未満と知りながら同市の少女（１６）に現金約１万５０００円を渡してみだらな行為をした疑い。「申し訳ないことをした。弁解の余地はない」と容疑を認めているという。
県警監察官室によると、今月上旬、県警本部に「佐伯（容疑者）が児童買春している」と匿名のメールがあり発覚。少女とは以前から面識があったという。９日から謹慎処分にしていた。
佐伯容疑者は９２年の採用。０６年４月に下関署に異動後は交番勤務だった。
石田貞男首席監察官は「警察官としてあるまじき行為で県民に深くおわびします。事実関係を調査の上、厳正な処分を行う」とコメントした。【島田信幸】
Mainichi
January 29, 2008
Yamaguchi Prefectural Police arrested the 33-year-old officer, Takayuki Saeki, on suspicion of violating the law banning child pornography and child prostitution. He has reportedly admitted to the allegations against him.
"I did something terrible. I don't have any excuses," police quoted the officer as saying.
Investigators said Saeki paid a 16-year-old girl 15,000 yen to engage in obscene behavior with her at a hotel in Hofu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in late June last year, despite knowing that she was under the age of 18.
The prefectural police inspection office said police received an anonymous e-mail at the beginning of this month, saying that Saeki was involved in child prostitution. The sergeant had reportedly known the girl for some time. Police suspended Saeki on Jan. 9.
The 33-year-old sergeant took up his job in 1992. He had been working at a police box after being transferred to Shimonoseki Police Station in April 2006.
Chief administrative inspector Sadao Ishida said the matter would be dealt with strictly.
"It was behavior unworthy of a police officer, and we deeply apologize to prefectural residents," he said. "We will carry out strict disciplinary measures following an investigation into the facts."
児童買春：山口・下関署巡査部長を逮捕
少女に現金を渡してみだらな行為をしたとして、山口県警は２９日、同県警下関署地域課巡査部長、佐伯隆之容疑者（３３）＝同県下関市王司川端１＝を児童買春・児童ポルノ禁止法違反容疑で逮捕した。
調べでは、佐伯容疑者は昨年６月下旬、同県防府市のホテルで、１８歳未満と知りながら同市の少女（１６）に現金約１万５０００円を渡してみだらな行為をした疑い。「申し訳ないことをした。弁解の余地はない」と容疑を認めているという。
県警監察官室によると、今月上旬、県警本部に「佐伯（容疑者）が児童買春している」と匿名のメールがあり発覚。少女とは以前から面識があったという。９日から謹慎処分にしていた。
佐伯容疑者は９２年の採用。０６年４月に下関署に異動後は交番勤務だった。
石田貞男首席監察官は「警察官としてあるまじき行為で県民に深くおわびします。事実関係を調査の上、厳正な処分を行う」とコメントした。【島田信幸】
Mainichi
January 29, 2008
Police officer nabbed for drunkenly assaulting train station employee
SAITAMA -- A police officer who tried to pass through a train station ticket gate without presenting a ticket, and then brushed aside a station employee who tried to stop him has been arrested, police said.
Fumio Terashita, 48, an assistant inspector in the organized criminal control division at Fukagawa Police Station, was arrested for assault.
Police said that Terashita tried to pass through a manned ticket gate at JR Kawagoe Station without presenting a ticket at about 12 a.m. on Wednesday. When a 19-year-old station employee tried to stop him, Terashita shook off the employee's right hand and kept going, prompting other station employees to apprehend the officer.
Terashita was reportedly drunk at the time.
"There's no doubt that I shook off his hand," police quoted the assistant inspector as saying.
Investigators said Terashita was on his way home at the time. He was reportedly carrying cash and a Suica train pass.
警視庁警部補：駅員に暴行容疑で逮捕 埼玉・川越
３０日午前０時ごろ、埼玉県川越市脇田本町のＪＲ川越駅改札口で、同県吉川市高富１、警視庁深川署刑事組織犯罪対策課警部補、寺下文雄容疑者（４８）が有人改札口を切符を出さずに通過しようとした。制止した男性駅員（１９）の右手を振り払って通ろうとしたため、他の駅員らが寺下容疑者を取り押さえ、川越署員が暴行容疑で現行犯逮捕した。酒に酔っており「手を振り払ったのは間違いない」と話しているという。
調べでは、寺下容疑者は帰宅途中で、「車内で寝込んだ」と供述している。現金やＩＣカード乗車券「Ｓｕｉｃａ」は持っていたという。
Fumio Terashita, 48, an assistant inspector in the organized criminal control division at Fukagawa Police Station, was arrested for assault.
Police said that Terashita tried to pass through a manned ticket gate at JR Kawagoe Station without presenting a ticket at about 12 a.m. on Wednesday. When a 19-year-old station employee tried to stop him, Terashita shook off the employee's right hand and kept going, prompting other station employees to apprehend the officer.
Terashita was reportedly drunk at the time.
"There's no doubt that I shook off his hand," police quoted the assistant inspector as saying.
Investigators said Terashita was on his way home at the time. He was reportedly carrying cash and a Suica train pass.
警視庁警部補：駅員に暴行容疑で逮捕 埼玉・川越
３０日午前０時ごろ、埼玉県川越市脇田本町のＪＲ川越駅改札口で、同県吉川市高富１、警視庁深川署刑事組織犯罪対策課警部補、寺下文雄容疑者（４８）が有人改札口を切符を出さずに通過しようとした。制止した男性駅員（１９）の右手を振り払って通ろうとしたため、他の駅員らが寺下容疑者を取り押さえ、川越署員が暴行容疑で現行犯逮捕した。酒に酔っており「手を振り払ったのは間違いない」と話しているという。
調べでは、寺下容疑者は帰宅途中で、「車内で寝込んだ」と供述している。現金やＩＣカード乗車券「Ｓｕｉｃａ」は持っていたという。
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Man suffers cracked ribs in police questioning
The Yomiuri Shimbun
A 37-year-old lieutenant of the Osaka prefectural police allegedly kicked a steel desk into a male suspect during questioning, cracking the man's ribs, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
The police will soon send papers to prosecutors, referring to suspicion of violence resulting in injury by a special public officer.
The police will consider taking disciplinary action against the lieutenant.
According to the police, the incident occurred in December as the lieutenant was questioning a 67-year-old man indicted for defrauding people who had bought worthless wildland in a scam, by convincing them to invest in condominiums.
During the interview, the lieutenant reportedly sat opposite the man at a desk in an interrogation room at the prefectural police headquarters.
When the man, who had been arrested four times since July in relation to the alleged fraud, repeatedly denied the allegations, the lieutenant became irritated and kicked a leg of the desk.
The force of the kick caused the desk to hit the man in the side, who reported pain and was taken by another investigator to hospital. He was diagnosed there as having suffered cracked ribs.
Only the lieutenant and the defendant were in the room at the time.
January 19, 2008
A 37-year-old lieutenant of the Osaka prefectural police allegedly kicked a steel desk into a male suspect during questioning, cracking the man's ribs, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
The police will soon send papers to prosecutors, referring to suspicion of violence resulting in injury by a special public officer.
The police will consider taking disciplinary action against the lieutenant.
According to the police, the incident occurred in December as the lieutenant was questioning a 67-year-old man indicted for defrauding people who had bought worthless wildland in a scam, by convincing them to invest in condominiums.
During the interview, the lieutenant reportedly sat opposite the man at a desk in an interrogation room at the prefectural police headquarters.
When the man, who had been arrested four times since July in relation to the alleged fraud, repeatedly denied the allegations, the lieutenant became irritated and kicked a leg of the desk.
The force of the kick caused the desk to hit the man in the side, who reported pain and was taken by another investigator to hospital. He was diagnosed there as having suffered cracked ribs.
Only the lieutenant and the defendant were in the room at the time.
January 19, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Lecture on domestic violence canceled over protests it could break up families
TSUKUBAMIRAI, Ibaraki -- The municipal government here has cancelled a lecture on domestic violence scheduled for next Sunday in response to protests from opponents, city sources said.
Opponents criticized the Law for the Prevention of Spousal Violence and the Protection of Victims, which allows the government to provide shelters for domestic violence victims, on the grounds that it would lead to the breakdown of families.
Kazuko Hirakawa, head of Tokyo Feminist Therapy Center who was to be invited to the lecture, expressed regret over the move. "It's regrettable because I wanted to show attendees the reality of domestic violence."
The Tsukubamirai Municipal Government planned to hold the meeting on Sunday. It intended to invite Hirakawa, who also serves on a government advisory panel, as a guest speaker. It began public relations on the meeting in late December last year.
However, the government had since received about 100 e-mails urging the city not to hold the event. "Don't use taxpayers' money to hold such a biased meeting," one of the e-mails said.
On Wednesday morning, protesters who gathered in front of the municipal government headquarters chanted a slogan against the lecture through loudspeakers.
The municipal government then decided to cancel the event on the grounds that if it went ahead, it would lead to confusion and cause trouble to attendees.
ＤＶ防止法：反対団体の抗議で講演会中止 つくばみらい市
配偶者や恋人などによる暴力「ドメスティックバイオレンス（ＤＶ）」をテーマにした講演会を２０日に予定していた茨城県つくばみらい市が、被害者保護などを定めたＤＶ防止法に批判的な市民団体などの抗議を受け、開催を断念していたことが分かった。
講演会は市内の公民館を会場に、内閣府の専門調査会委員でＤＶ被害者支援に取り組む平川和子・東京フェミニストセラピィセンター所長を講師に招いて開く予定だった。
市によると、０７年１２月下旬にＰＲを始めたところ１月に入り「偏向した講演会を市費で行わないで下さい」などと記した要請書やメールが届くようになり、約１００通に達した。１６日朝には、市役所前で数人が拡声器を使って抗議する騒ぎが起き、市は「開催しても混乱を招き、参加者に迷惑をかける」と判断して、中止を決めた。
開催に反対した市民側は「被害者のシェルターへの保護は家族を破壊する」などとＤＶ防止法を批判しているが、平川さんは「ＤＶの実態を伝えたかったので残念だ」と語った。
Opponents criticized the Law for the Prevention of Spousal Violence and the Protection of Victims, which allows the government to provide shelters for domestic violence victims, on the grounds that it would lead to the breakdown of families.
Kazuko Hirakawa, head of Tokyo Feminist Therapy Center who was to be invited to the lecture, expressed regret over the move. "It's regrettable because I wanted to show attendees the reality of domestic violence."
The Tsukubamirai Municipal Government planned to hold the meeting on Sunday. It intended to invite Hirakawa, who also serves on a government advisory panel, as a guest speaker. It began public relations on the meeting in late December last year.
However, the government had since received about 100 e-mails urging the city not to hold the event. "Don't use taxpayers' money to hold such a biased meeting," one of the e-mails said.
On Wednesday morning, protesters who gathered in front of the municipal government headquarters chanted a slogan against the lecture through loudspeakers.
The municipal government then decided to cancel the event on the grounds that if it went ahead, it would lead to confusion and cause trouble to attendees.
ＤＶ防止法：反対団体の抗議で講演会中止 つくばみらい市
配偶者や恋人などによる暴力「ドメスティックバイオレンス（ＤＶ）」をテーマにした講演会を２０日に予定していた茨城県つくばみらい市が、被害者保護などを定めたＤＶ防止法に批判的な市民団体などの抗議を受け、開催を断念していたことが分かった。
講演会は市内の公民館を会場に、内閣府の専門調査会委員でＤＶ被害者支援に取り組む平川和子・東京フェミニストセラピィセンター所長を講師に招いて開く予定だった。
市によると、０７年１２月下旬にＰＲを始めたところ１月に入り「偏向した講演会を市費で行わないで下さい」などと記した要請書やメールが届くようになり、約１００通に達した。１６日朝には、市役所前で数人が拡声器を使って抗議する騒ぎが起き、市は「開催しても混乱を招き、参加者に迷惑をかける」と判断して、中止を決めた。
開催に反対した市民側は「被害者のシェルターへの保護は家族を破壊する」などとＤＶ防止法を批判しているが、平川さんは「ＤＶの実態を伝えたかったので残念だ」と語った。
Police sergeant nabbed for threatening to kill woman
NAHA -- A police sergeant has been arrested for threatening to kill a woman by sending her e-mail messages from his mobile phone.
Masaharu Fukuchi, 49, a sergeant at Ishikawa Police Station in Okinawa Prefecture, is accused of intimidation.
Fukuchi has denied the allegations, saying, "I was drunk and don't remember threatening her."
Okinawa Prefectural Police were apologetic about the incident. "We deeply apologize to prefectural citizens and will strive to recover the public's confidence in us," said Shiho Toma, a senior officer at the prefectural police's inspection office.
In the specific cases for which the suspect was arrested, Fukuchi sent a woman e-mail messages saying he would kill her on 14 separate occasions between the afternoon of Jan. 10 and the morning of Jan. 11. One of the messages was apparently sent while he was on duty.
However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Investigators suspect that Fukuchi sent the woman similar messages on about 60 occasions since Nov. 28 last year. On a few other occasions, he allegedly even called her and said, "I will kill you."
Police have found no link between the police sergeant and the woman, and they suspect that Fukuchi had mistaken her for an acquaintance.
脅迫警官：携帯メールで女性に「殺す」…逮捕 沖縄
携帯電話のメールを使って女性を脅したとして、沖縄県警は１７日、石川署警務課留置管理係の巡査部長、福地正治容疑者（４９）を脅迫容疑で逮捕した。
調べでは、福地容疑者は１０日午後～１１日早朝、自分の携帯電話で１４回にわたって女性の携帯電話に「殺します。恨みをはらす」などとメール送信し、脅した疑い。うち１回は勤務中に送信したとみられる。福地容疑者は「酒に酔っていたため脅迫した記憶はない」と供述しているという。
携帯電話の履歴などから、昨年１１月２８日以降、同じ女性に計約６０回、同様のメールをしたことがわかっており、数回は電話で直接「殺すぞ」などと脅したらしい。
これまでの調べで２人に接点はなく、県警は福地容疑者が知人と勘違いして脅迫した可能性もあるとみて動機を追及している。
当真嗣邦（とうましほう）・県警首席監察官は１７日記者会見し「県民に深くおわびし、信頼回復に全力を尽くします」と謝罪した。
Masaharu Fukuchi, 49, a sergeant at Ishikawa Police Station in Okinawa Prefecture, is accused of intimidation.
Fukuchi has denied the allegations, saying, "I was drunk and don't remember threatening her."
Okinawa Prefectural Police were apologetic about the incident. "We deeply apologize to prefectural citizens and will strive to recover the public's confidence in us," said Shiho Toma, a senior officer at the prefectural police's inspection office.
In the specific cases for which the suspect was arrested, Fukuchi sent a woman e-mail messages saying he would kill her on 14 separate occasions between the afternoon of Jan. 10 and the morning of Jan. 11. One of the messages was apparently sent while he was on duty.
However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Investigators suspect that Fukuchi sent the woman similar messages on about 60 occasions since Nov. 28 last year. On a few other occasions, he allegedly even called her and said, "I will kill you."
Police have found no link between the police sergeant and the woman, and they suspect that Fukuchi had mistaken her for an acquaintance.
脅迫警官：携帯メールで女性に「殺す」…逮捕 沖縄
携帯電話のメールを使って女性を脅したとして、沖縄県警は１７日、石川署警務課留置管理係の巡査部長、福地正治容疑者（４９）を脅迫容疑で逮捕した。
調べでは、福地容疑者は１０日午後～１１日早朝、自分の携帯電話で１４回にわたって女性の携帯電話に「殺します。恨みをはらす」などとメール送信し、脅した疑い。うち１回は勤務中に送信したとみられる。福地容疑者は「酒に酔っていたため脅迫した記憶はない」と供述しているという。
携帯電話の履歴などから、昨年１１月２８日以降、同じ女性に計約６０回、同様のメールをしたことがわかっており、数回は電話で直接「殺すぞ」などと脅したらしい。
これまでの調べで２人に接点はなく、県警は福地容疑者が知人と勘違いして脅迫した可能性もあるとみて動機を追及している。
当真嗣邦（とうましほう）・県警首席監察官は１７日記者会見し「県民に深くおわびし、信頼回復に全力を尽くします」と謝罪した。
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Biker gang marks disbandment with futsal match against police
KAMAGAYA, Chiba -- Nine former members of a biker gang took part in a futsal match against members of Kamagaya Police Station as they marked the disbandment of the gang.
The gang, Kamagaya No. 1, had been active in Kamagaya for about 30 years. At its peak, the gang had about 50 members, but most of them were apprehended and the gang was recently persuaded by police to disband.
Ten police officers participated in the match on Sunday, which was carried out in a friendly atmosphere and ended in a draw.
雑記帳：暴走族がフットサル試合 解散記念に県警署員と
◇１４日の成人式を前に、今年成人になるメンバーを含む元暴走族９人が１３日、千葉県鎌ケ谷市内で、県警鎌ケ谷署員との「親善フットサル大会」に臨んだ。暴走族がこの日、解散した記念に行った。
◇暴走族は、市内を中心に３０年以上活動してきた「鎌ケ谷ナンバーワン」。ピーク時は５０人がいたが、大半が検挙され、昨年１１月ごろから約１カ月半にわたる署員の説得に応じて解散することにした。
◇署側からも１０人が参加。試合は終始、和やかなムードで進み、結果は引き分けに。全国で荒れる成人式が話題になって久しいが、スポーツマンシップにのっとり、門出を祝った
The gang, Kamagaya No. 1, had been active in Kamagaya for about 30 years. At its peak, the gang had about 50 members, but most of them were apprehended and the gang was recently persuaded by police to disband.
Ten police officers participated in the match on Sunday, which was carried out in a friendly atmosphere and ended in a draw.
雑記帳：暴走族がフットサル試合 解散記念に県警署員と
◇１４日の成人式を前に、今年成人になるメンバーを含む元暴走族９人が１３日、千葉県鎌ケ谷市内で、県警鎌ケ谷署員との「親善フットサル大会」に臨んだ。暴走族がこの日、解散した記念に行った。
◇暴走族は、市内を中心に３０年以上活動してきた「鎌ケ谷ナンバーワン」。ピーク時は５０人がいたが、大半が検挙され、昨年１１月ごろから約１カ月半にわたる署員の説得に応じて解散することにした。
◇署側からも１０人が参加。試合は終始、和やかなムードで進み、結果は引き分けに。全国で荒れる成人式が話題になって久しいが、スポーツマンシップにのっとり、門出を祝った
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Police investigator leaves gun in convenience store restroom
KANUMA, Tochigi -- A police investigator left his loaded gun behind in the restroom of a convenience store here during a patrol early Monday, police said.
At around 5:15 a.m. on Monday, a 27-year-old employee of a convenience store in the Kamitamachi district of Kanuma reported to local police that a bag containing what appears to be a gun was found in its restroom.
Officers confirmed the bag contained a loaded gun, handcuffs, sticks and other items belonging to a 27-year-old sergeant at Tochigi Prefectural Police.
The investigator used the restroom at around 3:25 a.m. on Monday during a patrol, and left his bag containing his gun behind. He had been unaware that he left his gun behind until the convenience store employee notified police.
There is no sign that the gun has been used. Prefectural police are poised to take steps to prevent a recurrence.
拳銃忘れ：巡回中の男性巡査部長 コンビニトイレに 栃木
１４日午前５時１５分ごろ、栃木県鹿沼市上田町のコンビニ店の店員（２７）が「トイレに拳銃のような物が入ったかばんが忘れられている」と県警鹿沼署に届けた。県警機動捜査隊所属の男性巡査長（２７）のウエストポーチで、実弾入りの拳銃や手錠、特殊警棒などが入っていた。中身がなくなったり、使われた形跡はなかったという。
調べでは、男性巡査部長（５４）と市内巡回中の同３時２５分ごろ、トイレを借りるため店に立ち寄り、腰に付けていたポーチを壁のフックに掛けて置き忘れた。巡査長は連絡があるまで置き忘れに気付かなかった。和気安男・副隊長は「再発防止に努めたい」とコメントした。
At around 5:15 a.m. on Monday, a 27-year-old employee of a convenience store in the Kamitamachi district of Kanuma reported to local police that a bag containing what appears to be a gun was found in its restroom.
Officers confirmed the bag contained a loaded gun, handcuffs, sticks and other items belonging to a 27-year-old sergeant at Tochigi Prefectural Police.
The investigator used the restroom at around 3:25 a.m. on Monday during a patrol, and left his bag containing his gun behind. He had been unaware that he left his gun behind until the convenience store employee notified police.
There is no sign that the gun has been used. Prefectural police are poised to take steps to prevent a recurrence.
拳銃忘れ：巡回中の男性巡査部長 コンビニトイレに 栃木
１４日午前５時１５分ごろ、栃木県鹿沼市上田町のコンビニ店の店員（２７）が「トイレに拳銃のような物が入ったかばんが忘れられている」と県警鹿沼署に届けた。県警機動捜査隊所属の男性巡査長（２７）のウエストポーチで、実弾入りの拳銃や手錠、特殊警棒などが入っていた。中身がなくなったり、使われた形跡はなかったという。
調べでは、男性巡査部長（５４）と市内巡回中の同３時２５分ごろ、トイレを借りるため店に立ち寄り、腰に付けていたポーチを壁のフックに掛けて置き忘れた。巡査長は連絡があるまで置き忘れに気付かなかった。和気安男・副隊長は「再発防止に努めたい」とコメントした。
Monday, January 7, 2008
Majority of Tokyo taxis ban smoking
Over 90 percent of Tokyo taxis banned smoking as of Monday, with taxis in Saitama and Fukui prefectures also launching a similar drive.
About 34,000 corporate-driven taxis and some 18,000 owner-driven taxis in Tokyo became non-smoking from Monday, making up about 95 percent of taxis in the capital. In neighboring Saitama Prefecture, 6,512 taxis banned smoking the same day.
The number of prefectures banning smoking in taxis is now up to 15, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
The trend is expected to continue.
"More than half the complaints from passengers are about the smell of cigarettes," said a representative of a taxi company association in Tokyo. "The push toward non-smoking taxis can't be stopped," he said.
At a taxi stand in front of JR Tokyo Station, officials launched a campaign to promote non-smoking taxis on Monday morning.
"Because of my job (as a fashion consultant), I need to be free of the smell of smoke. I appreciate it," said a 29-year-old woman from Tokyo's Adachi-ku.
A 63-year-old taxi driver, who is a smoker himself, was worried about the move.
"There is no penalty for violating the ban. We cannot refuse to give a ride to passengers who want to smoke, and I cannot quit smoking, either. I hope there won't be any problems with drunken passengers (who want to smoke)," he said.
タクシー禁煙：東京、埼玉でも始まる
東京で業界団体加盟の法人約３万４０００台、個人約１万８０００台のタクシーが７日から禁煙になった。都内のタクシーの約９５％が禁煙となる。この日は埼玉と福井でも始まった。国土交通省などによると全県的なタクシー禁煙はこれで１５都県となり、今後も拡大する見通しという。
禁煙化が進む背景には、タクシーを含む交通機関の事業者に対して受動喫煙の防止に努めるよう求めた０３年５月施行の健康増進法がある。また、０５年１２月には、受動喫煙被害の責任を巡ってタクシー乗務員らと国が争った訴訟の東京地裁判決が「乗務員は分煙が不可能な密閉された車内で、乗客のたばこの副流煙を恒常的に吸わされる。全面禁煙化が望ましい」と指摘した。
７日朝、ＪＲ東京駅丸の内北口のタクシー乗り場では、関係者らがＰＲ活動を展開。足立区のアパレル販売員の女性（２９）は「仕事柄、においをつける訳にはいかなかった。助かります」と笑顔で乗り込んだ。
一方、愛煙家という乗務員（６３）は「違反しても罰則はない。吸いたい客を拒否できないし、自分もやめられない。夜は酔客ともめないといいが」と不安を募らせる。都内の法人タクシー団体「東京乗用旅客自動車協会」の広報担当者は「客がどうしても吸いたいと言えば、車を止めて車外で吸ってもらう。タクシーへのクレームの半分以上はたばこのにおい。禁煙化は止められない」と話す。【渡辺暖、高橋昌紀】
◇ ◇
埼玉では、県タクシー協会が加盟２１０社（６５１２台）のタクシーを禁煙にした。１９５の個人タクシーや協会非加盟の数社も同調するとみられ、ほぼすべてのタクシーが禁煙になる見込み。
January 7, 2008
Mainichi
Original Aricle
About 34,000 corporate-driven taxis and some 18,000 owner-driven taxis in Tokyo became non-smoking from Monday, making up about 95 percent of taxis in the capital. In neighboring Saitama Prefecture, 6,512 taxis banned smoking the same day.
The number of prefectures banning smoking in taxis is now up to 15, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
The trend is expected to continue.
"More than half the complaints from passengers are about the smell of cigarettes," said a representative of a taxi company association in Tokyo. "The push toward non-smoking taxis can't be stopped," he said.
At a taxi stand in front of JR Tokyo Station, officials launched a campaign to promote non-smoking taxis on Monday morning.
"Because of my job (as a fashion consultant), I need to be free of the smell of smoke. I appreciate it," said a 29-year-old woman from Tokyo's Adachi-ku.
A 63-year-old taxi driver, who is a smoker himself, was worried about the move.
"There is no penalty for violating the ban. We cannot refuse to give a ride to passengers who want to smoke, and I cannot quit smoking, either. I hope there won't be any problems with drunken passengers (who want to smoke)," he said.
タクシー禁煙：東京、埼玉でも始まる
東京で業界団体加盟の法人約３万４０００台、個人約１万８０００台のタクシーが７日から禁煙になった。都内のタクシーの約９５％が禁煙となる。この日は埼玉と福井でも始まった。国土交通省などによると全県的なタクシー禁煙はこれで１５都県となり、今後も拡大する見通しという。
禁煙化が進む背景には、タクシーを含む交通機関の事業者に対して受動喫煙の防止に努めるよう求めた０３年５月施行の健康増進法がある。また、０５年１２月には、受動喫煙被害の責任を巡ってタクシー乗務員らと国が争った訴訟の東京地裁判決が「乗務員は分煙が不可能な密閉された車内で、乗客のたばこの副流煙を恒常的に吸わされる。全面禁煙化が望ましい」と指摘した。
７日朝、ＪＲ東京駅丸の内北口のタクシー乗り場では、関係者らがＰＲ活動を展開。足立区のアパレル販売員の女性（２９）は「仕事柄、においをつける訳にはいかなかった。助かります」と笑顔で乗り込んだ。
一方、愛煙家という乗務員（６３）は「違反しても罰則はない。吸いたい客を拒否できないし、自分もやめられない。夜は酔客ともめないといいが」と不安を募らせる。都内の法人タクシー団体「東京乗用旅客自動車協会」の広報担当者は「客がどうしても吸いたいと言えば、車を止めて車外で吸ってもらう。タクシーへのクレームの半分以上はたばこのにおい。禁煙化は止められない」と話す。【渡辺暖、高橋昌紀】
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埼玉では、県タクシー協会が加盟２１０社（６５１２台）のタクシーを禁煙にした。１９５の個人タクシーや協会非加盟の数社も同調するとみられ、ほぼすべてのタクシーが禁煙になる見込み。
January 7, 2008
Mainichi
Original Aricle
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