YOKOHAMA -- Kanagawa Prefectural Police on Thursday removed a security division head from his post over alleged involvement in manipulative spiritual sales methods, officials said.
Prefectural police also searched several locations including a "healing salon" that 51-year-old police superintendent Sumio Yoshida regularly visited and the superintendent's own office.
Investigators said that on April 15 and 19, 2004, the 44-year-old woman who headed the healing salon in Tokyo's Minato-ku conspired with several employees and told a man living in Yokohama that the area where his company was located was used to cut people's heads off during the period of civil wars in the 16th century. On May 19, the man was allegedly swindled out of 4.9 million yen as a fee to dispel spirits.
Police suspect the man was prompted to buy charms as well, and was swindled out of a total of about 20 million yen.
Yoshida who regularly visited the healing salon was an acquaintance of the salon's president. He was a nominee on the contract that was formed when the salon was set up, and served as a joint guarantor.
Large sums of money were reportedly deposited into the superintendent's bank account from the group that managed the salon. Several police officers also reportedly deposited money into his account. Prefectural police said they planned to thoroughly question nine officers, including Yoshida.
霊感商法:強制捜査に着手…神奈川県警、詐欺容疑で
神奈川県警警備課長の吉田澄雄警視(51)がヒーリングサロンを装って法外な値段でお札やお守りを売りつける霊感商法に関与している疑いが強まり、県警は20日、吉田警視を警備部付に異動させるとともに、詐欺容疑で関係先の家宅捜索に着手した。東京都港区のヒーリングサロン「びびっととうきょう青山サロン」やサロンを運営する山梨県甲斐市の「神世界」本部、県警本部の警備課長室など十数カ所を調べる。
捜索の容疑は、青山サロン社長の女(44)は04年4月15、19日、サロンの従業員数人と共謀し、横浜市内の男性会社役員(当時41歳)に「あなたの会社は戦国時代は首切り場だった。処刑された人の霊が成仏できずに地縛霊としてさまよっている。運気を下げ業務等に影響している」などとうそをつき、同年5月19日、除霊代として現金490万円をだまし取った疑い。
県警によると、男性は水や「ライセンス」というお守りも勧められ、総額約2000万円をだまし取られた。サロンは駅前で女性に「ヒーリングはいかがですか」などと声をかけていたという。
吉田警視は女社長の知人で、03年ごろ、サロン開設時の契約書の名義人や連帯保証人に名を連ねた。元同僚の県警横須賀署警備担当次長の稙田紀郎警視(47)も連帯保証人だった。吉田警視の口座には神世界側から多額の現金が定期的に入金されていたほか、数人の警察官からも現金が振り込まれていた。
サロンには吉田警視が警察学校の教官だった時の教え子である警察官ら5人が出入りし、吉田警視が勧誘した可能性もある。県警は吉田警視ら計9人の現職警察官から詳しく事情を聴く。【堀智行、野口由紀、鈴木一生】
December 20, 2007
Mainichi
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Cop dies after shooting self in head in police box
A Tokyo police officer died Wednesday after shooting himself in the head in an apparent suicide, police said.
At around 9 a.m., the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) received an emergency call from a passer-by reporting that a police officer was lying on the floor of a police box in front of JR Tokyo Station in Chiyoda-ku, bleeding from the head.
The unconscious officer was rushed to a hospital where he later died.
He has been identified as Yasumasa Onishi, 32, a sergeant with Marunouchi Police Station who was transferred to the police box on Thursday last week.
Onishi was holding a gun when he was found collapsed, leading MPD investigators to suspect that he shot himself in the head in a bid to commit suicide.
19日午前9時5分ごろ、東京都千代田区丸の内1の警視庁丸の内署東京駅前交番内で、交番に勤務する丸の内署地域課の大西泰正巡査部長(32)=足立区西新井7=が頭から血を流して倒れていると通行人から110番があった。大西巡査部長は病院に運ばれたが約3時間後に死亡した。右手に拳銃を握っており、丸の内署は大西巡査部長が頭を撃って自殺を図ったとみて調べている。
調べでは、大西巡査部長は貸与された拳銃で右側頭部を1発撃ち、交番入り口に面した1階の見張り所(事務室)内に倒れていた。病院搬送前は意識があったという。18日午後4時半から同僚2人と交番勤務に就いていた。発砲時は同僚のうち1人が事務室の奥の休憩室で仮眠していたが、もう1人は不在で、事務室には大西巡査部長しかいなかった。
拳銃には銃弾5発を装てん可能で、4発が残っていた。発射された1発は、事務室内に落ちていた。通りに面した窓の内側の枠に銃弾が当たったような跡があり、跳ね返って室内に落ちたとみられる。窓枠からそれていれば、外部に飛び出した可能性もあった。
大西巡査部長は13日付で丸の内署に配属されたばかりで、18日が交番勤務の初日だった。丸の内署に着任後は変わった様子はなかったという。遺書は見つかっていない。
現場はJR東京駅丸の内北口前。北口改札から大型商業ビルやオフィスビルの集中する地区へ抜ける場所で、終日人通りが絶えないという。
現場付近にいた通行人らによると、午前9時ごろ「パーン」という音が1回聞こえ、交番内の机付近に大西巡査部長が倒れていた。近くには帽子がころがり、壁には大量の血痕が付いていた。同僚の警察官が大西巡査部長に覆いかぶさるようにして呼びかけていたという。
発砲後、交番の出入り口に青いシートがかけられ、鑑識作業を行う警視庁の捜査員らや集まった約40人の報道陣で騒然とした。不安げな表情でJR職員に尋ねるスーツ姿の会社員もいた。
買い物に来ていた主婦(38)は「こんな場所で拳銃を使った騒ぎが起きるなんて……。仕事のために持っていたのだから佐世保の(散弾銃乱射)事件とは違うのだろうが、こんなに身近で起きると不安に思う」と話した。
丸の内署の浦忠雄署長は「拳銃を使用して自殺を図ったことは誠に残念。再発防止に努めたい」とのコメントを出した。
◇警官の拳銃自殺 今年全国で5件、8月には女性射殺
警察庁によると、交番などに勤務する警察官が拳銃を使用して自殺したケースは今年は全国で今回も含め、5件発生している。8月には警視庁立川署の巡査長が、勤務中に知人女性宅で女性を射殺したうえで、自殺した。06年は6件、05年は4件、04年は2件、03年は6件起きている。
警察庁幹部は「職務遂行のために貸与されている拳銃をほかの目的に使用することはあってはならないこと」と話す。警視庁は立川事件以降、再発防止のために組織的に警察官の心情把握に努める対策をとっていただけに、警視庁幹部も今回の自殺未遂事件に衝撃を受けている。
December 19, 2007
Mainichi
At around 9 a.m., the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) received an emergency call from a passer-by reporting that a police officer was lying on the floor of a police box in front of JR Tokyo Station in Chiyoda-ku, bleeding from the head.
The unconscious officer was rushed to a hospital where he later died.
He has been identified as Yasumasa Onishi, 32, a sergeant with Marunouchi Police Station who was transferred to the police box on Thursday last week.
Onishi was holding a gun when he was found collapsed, leading MPD investigators to suspect that he shot himself in the head in a bid to commit suicide.
19日午前9時5分ごろ、東京都千代田区丸の内1の警視庁丸の内署東京駅前交番内で、交番に勤務する丸の内署地域課の大西泰正巡査部長(32)=足立区西新井7=が頭から血を流して倒れていると通行人から110番があった。大西巡査部長は病院に運ばれたが約3時間後に死亡した。右手に拳銃を握っており、丸の内署は大西巡査部長が頭を撃って自殺を図ったとみて調べている。
調べでは、大西巡査部長は貸与された拳銃で右側頭部を1発撃ち、交番入り口に面した1階の見張り所(事務室)内に倒れていた。病院搬送前は意識があったという。18日午後4時半から同僚2人と交番勤務に就いていた。発砲時は同僚のうち1人が事務室の奥の休憩室で仮眠していたが、もう1人は不在で、事務室には大西巡査部長しかいなかった。
拳銃には銃弾5発を装てん可能で、4発が残っていた。発射された1発は、事務室内に落ちていた。通りに面した窓の内側の枠に銃弾が当たったような跡があり、跳ね返って室内に落ちたとみられる。窓枠からそれていれば、外部に飛び出した可能性もあった。
大西巡査部長は13日付で丸の内署に配属されたばかりで、18日が交番勤務の初日だった。丸の内署に着任後は変わった様子はなかったという。遺書は見つかっていない。
現場はJR東京駅丸の内北口前。北口改札から大型商業ビルやオフィスビルの集中する地区へ抜ける場所で、終日人通りが絶えないという。
現場付近にいた通行人らによると、午前9時ごろ「パーン」という音が1回聞こえ、交番内の机付近に大西巡査部長が倒れていた。近くには帽子がころがり、壁には大量の血痕が付いていた。同僚の警察官が大西巡査部長に覆いかぶさるようにして呼びかけていたという。
発砲後、交番の出入り口に青いシートがかけられ、鑑識作業を行う警視庁の捜査員らや集まった約40人の報道陣で騒然とした。不安げな表情でJR職員に尋ねるスーツ姿の会社員もいた。
買い物に来ていた主婦(38)は「こんな場所で拳銃を使った騒ぎが起きるなんて……。仕事のために持っていたのだから佐世保の(散弾銃乱射)事件とは違うのだろうが、こんなに身近で起きると不安に思う」と話した。
丸の内署の浦忠雄署長は「拳銃を使用して自殺を図ったことは誠に残念。再発防止に努めたい」とのコメントを出した。
◇警官の拳銃自殺 今年全国で5件、8月には女性射殺
警察庁によると、交番などに勤務する警察官が拳銃を使用して自殺したケースは今年は全国で今回も含め、5件発生している。8月には警視庁立川署の巡査長が、勤務中に知人女性宅で女性を射殺したうえで、自殺した。06年は6件、05年は4件、04年は2件、03年は6件起きている。
警察庁幹部は「職務遂行のために貸与されている拳銃をほかの目的に使用することはあってはならないこと」と話す。警視庁は立川事件以降、再発防止のために組織的に警察官の心情把握に努める対策をとっていただけに、警視庁幹部も今回の自殺未遂事件に衝撃を受けている。
December 19, 2007
Mainichi
Cop commits suicide in police box
MASHIKO, Tochigi - A police officer committed suicide Thursday by shooting himself with his service revolver in the police box where he worked here, police said.
The 23-year-old officer was found in the sleeping quarters of the police box, collapsed in a pool of blood pouring out from his abdomen, with his gun and a suicide note nearby.
Police said the officer's service revolver still contained four bullets. The officer had worked his regular shift while the sergeant stationed at the same police box was working at the Mooka Police Station in Mashiko at the time. The 59-year-old sergeant found the collapsed officer.
December 13, 2007
Mainichi
拳銃自殺?:交番で23歳の男性巡査…遺書も 栃木・益子
13日午前6時5分ごろ、栃木県益子町益子の県警真岡署益子交番2階の仮眠室で、交番勤務の同署地域課の男性巡査(23)が腹から血を流してあおむけに倒れているのを、同僚の男性巡査部長(59)が発見した。畳の上に拳銃が落ちており、枕元に「拳銃で自殺したことごめんなさい」と書かれたメモがあった。同署は拳銃自殺を図ったとみている。
調べでは、拳銃は巡査に貸与した回転式(5発入り)で、弾倉には弾丸計4発が残っていた。撃ったのは1発だった。巡査と巡査部長の2人は、12日午前9時から勤務し、同日午後10時から13日午前2時までの仮眠時間を終え、2人で警らに出る予定だった。巡査が「腹の調子が悪い」と申し出たため、巡査部長は1人では警らができないため、午前3時25分ごろ、真岡署で当直を応援するため交番を出たという。
弾はへその右上約5センチの場所に撃ち込まれていた。遺書とみられるメモは、A4判の半分の大きさのメモ用紙にボールペンで縦書きされていた。【山下俊輔、戸上文恵】
▽手塚港・真岡署次長 警察官が拳銃を不適切に使用し、自殺したことは誠に遺憾。再発防止に努めたい。
The 23-year-old officer was found in the sleeping quarters of the police box, collapsed in a pool of blood pouring out from his abdomen, with his gun and a suicide note nearby.
Police said the officer's service revolver still contained four bullets. The officer had worked his regular shift while the sergeant stationed at the same police box was working at the Mooka Police Station in Mashiko at the time. The 59-year-old sergeant found the collapsed officer.
December 13, 2007
Mainichi
拳銃自殺?:交番で23歳の男性巡査…遺書も 栃木・益子
13日午前6時5分ごろ、栃木県益子町益子の県警真岡署益子交番2階の仮眠室で、交番勤務の同署地域課の男性巡査(23)が腹から血を流してあおむけに倒れているのを、同僚の男性巡査部長(59)が発見した。畳の上に拳銃が落ちており、枕元に「拳銃で自殺したことごめんなさい」と書かれたメモがあった。同署は拳銃自殺を図ったとみている。
調べでは、拳銃は巡査に貸与した回転式(5発入り)で、弾倉には弾丸計4発が残っていた。撃ったのは1発だった。巡査と巡査部長の2人は、12日午前9時から勤務し、同日午後10時から13日午前2時までの仮眠時間を終え、2人で警らに出る予定だった。巡査が「腹の調子が悪い」と申し出たため、巡査部長は1人では警らができないため、午前3時25分ごろ、真岡署で当直を応援するため交番を出たという。
弾はへその右上約5センチの場所に撃ち込まれていた。遺書とみられるメモは、A4判の半分の大きさのメモ用紙にボールペンで縦書きされていた。【山下俊輔、戸上文恵】
▽手塚港・真岡署次長 警察官が拳銃を不適切に使用し、自殺したことは誠に遺憾。再発防止に努めたい。
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Police officer arrested for molesting woman at detention facility
URAYASU, Chiba -- A police officer has been arrested for molesting a woman who was being held at a police station's detention facility, officials said.
Kenji Nakamura, 26, a senior officer at Urayasu Police Station, stands accused of cruelty as a special public officer. He admitted to the allegations, local police said.
"I did it because I was in love with her," Nakamura was quoted as telling investigators during questioning.
The incident comes after Chiba Prefectural Police sent an investigation report to prosecutors on Oct. 26, accusing a 33-year-old officer of fondling the breasts of a woman who visited his police box in Matsudo.
Nakamura fondled the breasts and private parts of a 22-year-old woman detained at the police station's detention facility where he worked as a guard in mid-March this year, investigators said.
Nakamura continued to contact the woman after she was released shortly after the incident.
The incident came to light after the woman reported the abuse to the National Public Safety Commission in early November this year.
警官不祥事:留置場の女性へのわいせつ行為で逮捕…千葉
留置場に拘置中の女性にわいせつ行為をしたとして、千葉県警刑事総務課は6日、同県浦安市高洲、浦安署巡査長、中村憲司容疑者(26)を特別公務員暴行陵虐容疑で逮捕した。「好意を持っていたのでやった」と容疑を認めているという。
調べでは、中村容疑者は警務課留置係だった3月15日ごろ、浦安署の留置場に拘置されていた県内の無職女性(22)の下半身や胸を触るなどした疑い。女性は直後に釈放されたが、中村容疑者は連絡をとり続けていたという。11月5日に女性が国家公安委員会に被害を訴える投書をして発覚した。
千葉県警は、交番に相談に来た女性の胸を触るなどしたとして、松戸署の巡査(33)を10月26日に同容疑で書類送検したばかりだった。
刑事総務課の前田弘司課長代理は「事件を捜査する立場なので何もコメントできない」と話した。【山本太一、斎藤有香】
Originally printed in Japanese on December 7, 2007
Kenji Nakamura, 26, a senior officer at Urayasu Police Station, stands accused of cruelty as a special public officer. He admitted to the allegations, local police said.
"I did it because I was in love with her," Nakamura was quoted as telling investigators during questioning.
The incident comes after Chiba Prefectural Police sent an investigation report to prosecutors on Oct. 26, accusing a 33-year-old officer of fondling the breasts of a woman who visited his police box in Matsudo.
Nakamura fondled the breasts and private parts of a 22-year-old woman detained at the police station's detention facility where he worked as a guard in mid-March this year, investigators said.
Nakamura continued to contact the woman after she was released shortly after the incident.
The incident came to light after the woman reported the abuse to the National Public Safety Commission in early November this year.
警官不祥事:留置場の女性へのわいせつ行為で逮捕…千葉
留置場に拘置中の女性にわいせつ行為をしたとして、千葉県警刑事総務課は6日、同県浦安市高洲、浦安署巡査長、中村憲司容疑者(26)を特別公務員暴行陵虐容疑で逮捕した。「好意を持っていたのでやった」と容疑を認めているという。
調べでは、中村容疑者は警務課留置係だった3月15日ごろ、浦安署の留置場に拘置されていた県内の無職女性(22)の下半身や胸を触るなどした疑い。女性は直後に釈放されたが、中村容疑者は連絡をとり続けていたという。11月5日に女性が国家公安委員会に被害を訴える投書をして発覚した。
千葉県警は、交番に相談に来た女性の胸を触るなどしたとして、松戸署の巡査(33)を10月26日に同容疑で書類送検したばかりだった。
刑事総務課の前田弘司課長代理は「事件を捜査する立場なので何もコメントできない」と話した。【山本太一、斎藤有香】
Originally printed in Japanese on December 7, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Burglar with cop fetish caught breaking into police box
NAGOYA -- A man with a penchant for police paraphernalia has been arrested for creeping into a police box, police said.
Yukio Toho, 36, unemployed of Nagoya, was arrested for trespassing.
He admits to the allegations.
"I was interested in the doorknobs," he told the police.
A raid on Toho's home following his arrest unearthed a huge array of police paraphernalia including police notebooks, handcuffs, holsters, batons and filing cabinets, which investigators suspect may all be stolen. Police said the notebook and handcuffs had been stolen from a police box on Nov. 19.
Police said Toho climbed over a fence and trespassed in a police box yard in Seto, Aichi Prefecture, on Dec. 5.
Tuesday December 11, 2007
Yukio Toho, 36, unemployed of Nagoya, was arrested for trespassing.
He admits to the allegations.
"I was interested in the doorknobs," he told the police.
A raid on Toho's home following his arrest unearthed a huge array of police paraphernalia including police notebooks, handcuffs, holsters, batons and filing cabinets, which investigators suspect may all be stolen. Police said the notebook and handcuffs had been stolen from a police box on Nov. 19.
Police said Toho climbed over a fence and trespassed in a police box yard in Seto, Aichi Prefecture, on Dec. 5.
Tuesday December 11, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Crime down nationwide
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan is safer now than it was in 2002, when crime hit a record high, according to a study.
The Japan Urban Security Research Institute calculated municipal crime figures by looking at the number of crimes per 1,000 people in 2006. It then drew up a colored map featuring seven different crime levels, with red indicating a high crime rate and green indicating a low crime rate.
Compared with a map based on figures for 2002, the map for 2006 has significantly fewer areas colored red, indicating fewer municipalities with a high crime rate.
The drop in crime apparently is a result of a series of security measures taken since 2002.
According to the National Police Agency, about 2.05 million crimes were reported across the country last year--a 28 percent decline from 2002, when 2.85 million cases were reported.
To discern the risk of becoming a victim of crimes such as theft and robbery, the Urban Security Research Institute calculated municipal crime rates based on daytime population figures and the number of crimes.
According to the study, crime declined in most municipalities.
The 2002 map shows many red areas in metropolitan areas, but the 2006 map features fewer red-colored places. In 2006, fewer than 10 percent of municipalities had crime rates exceeding 28.9 per 1,000 people.
Even though the trend in which urban areas have high crime rates and rural areas have low rates continued, rates in both areas dropped by about one-third.
Tokyo Metropolitan University Prof. Masahide Maeda, who participated in the study, said: "Security has improved almost equally across the nation, regardless of area, because police and local governments have been bolstering security measures since 2002. That's the major reason."
The NPA in 2002 instructed the Metropolitan Police Department and prefectural police forces to crack down on street crime, such as mugging and bicycle theft. The police started informing residents of crimes, while many residents began voluntary neighborhood patrols. As of June, there were 35,000 volunteer crime-prevention groups.
As a result, over the past four years bicycle thefts and thefts from cars have fallen by about 40 percent from nearly 1 million. Serious crime, such as murder and robbery, also dropped by 16 percent.
In Tokyo, the number of crimes reported for the year surpassed 300,000 for the first time in 2002. The MPD drew up a plan to restore public security to bring the number of cases down to the 1992 level within three years. The MPD more or less accomplished this goal by 2005.
The research institute plans to compile a report by the end of March and distribute it to local governments.
(Dec. 5, 2007)
Japan is safer now than it was in 2002, when crime hit a record high, according to a study.
The Japan Urban Security Research Institute calculated municipal crime figures by looking at the number of crimes per 1,000 people in 2006. It then drew up a colored map featuring seven different crime levels, with red indicating a high crime rate and green indicating a low crime rate.
Compared with a map based on figures for 2002, the map for 2006 has significantly fewer areas colored red, indicating fewer municipalities with a high crime rate.
The drop in crime apparently is a result of a series of security measures taken since 2002.
According to the National Police Agency, about 2.05 million crimes were reported across the country last year--a 28 percent decline from 2002, when 2.85 million cases were reported.
To discern the risk of becoming a victim of crimes such as theft and robbery, the Urban Security Research Institute calculated municipal crime rates based on daytime population figures and the number of crimes.
According to the study, crime declined in most municipalities.
The 2002 map shows many red areas in metropolitan areas, but the 2006 map features fewer red-colored places. In 2006, fewer than 10 percent of municipalities had crime rates exceeding 28.9 per 1,000 people.
Even though the trend in which urban areas have high crime rates and rural areas have low rates continued, rates in both areas dropped by about one-third.
Tokyo Metropolitan University Prof. Masahide Maeda, who participated in the study, said: "Security has improved almost equally across the nation, regardless of area, because police and local governments have been bolstering security measures since 2002. That's the major reason."
The NPA in 2002 instructed the Metropolitan Police Department and prefectural police forces to crack down on street crime, such as mugging and bicycle theft. The police started informing residents of crimes, while many residents began voluntary neighborhood patrols. As of June, there were 35,000 volunteer crime-prevention groups.
As a result, over the past four years bicycle thefts and thefts from cars have fallen by about 40 percent from nearly 1 million. Serious crime, such as murder and robbery, also dropped by 16 percent.
In Tokyo, the number of crimes reported for the year surpassed 300,000 for the first time in 2002. The MPD drew up a plan to restore public security to bring the number of cases down to the 1992 level within three years. The MPD more or less accomplished this goal by 2005.
The research institute plans to compile a report by the end of March and distribute it to local governments.
(Dec. 5, 2007)
Sunday, December 2, 2007
3rd time unlucky for Tokyo robber
The Yomiuri Shimbun
A 48-year-old man was arrested Saturday on suspicion of stealing about 50,000 yen from a convenience store in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, that he had held up twice previously, according to the police.
Norihisa Namba, of Koto Ward, allegedly entered the Irifune branch of the Shinsen-gumi convenience store chain and threatened the 38-year-old male part-time clerk at the counter with a knife before grabbing 50,000 yen in cash, at about 4 a.m. Saturday, the police said.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department who had been staking out the store, which was robbed on Oct. 6 and Nov. 5, entered the store, disarmed Namba and arrested him.
Namba told investigators that Saturday's robbery was the third time he had targeted the store and admitted stealing a total of about 785,000 yen in at least five robberies, including the three.
(Dec. 2, 2007)
A 48-year-old man was arrested Saturday on suspicion of stealing about 50,000 yen from a convenience store in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, that he had held up twice previously, according to the police.
Norihisa Namba, of Koto Ward, allegedly entered the Irifune branch of the Shinsen-gumi convenience store chain and threatened the 38-year-old male part-time clerk at the counter with a knife before grabbing 50,000 yen in cash, at about 4 a.m. Saturday, the police said.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department who had been staking out the store, which was robbed on Oct. 6 and Nov. 5, entered the store, disarmed Namba and arrested him.
Namba told investigators that Saturday's robbery was the third time he had targeted the store and admitted stealing a total of about 785,000 yen in at least five robberies, including the three.
(Dec. 2, 2007)
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