On-duty officer apparently shoots himself at Tokyo police station

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

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

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

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.

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