American police officers travel to Japan
An excerpt from an article about some American police officers who traveled to Japan as part of a sister city program:
Jaquish prepared tacos but her host family members, who were used to eating everything atop their rice, found it strange to put cooked meat into a tortilla.
The 5-foot, 10-inch officer found that she towered over most of the Japanese men. And her feet hung off the end of a hotel bed.
She also discovered a greater degree of sexism in Japanese police organizations.
“Female officers wear skirts and don’t do the same jobs as the men,” she said, noting that many police women do clerical work rather than patrolling the streets.
In Hino, surveillance cameras are ubiquitous. Images are projected on huge screens back at the station houses.
“Their cameras can zoom in and see a freckle on your face,” said Marquez.
Neighborhood police stations are numerous, and when citizens change residences, they report their new addresses to local authorities.
Officers and the public interact differently.
Rather than being feared or avoided as they might be at home, visiting officers are offered coffee and treats.
“There is a sense of (community) ownership there that we don’t have here,” Rocha said. “They don’t vandalize things because they know they will have to clean it up themselves.”
The officers had wanted to accompany Japanese cops on patrol and check out a Japanese jail, but they were apparently not allowed to do so.
- Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
- Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
