Japan Press Weekly

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2012 August 15 - 21 [CIVIL RIGHTS]

JCP: labor and human rights of police officers must be guaranteed to rid police of crimes

Misconduct and crimes involving the police are showing no end, turning out to be more than one officer a day on average being punished.

The National Police Agency reported that the number of police officers and personnel who were subject to disciplinary action has already reached 205 in the first half of this year. Senior police officers, including inspectors, have accounted for 15% of the total number so far, the agency said.

After peaking at 546 in 2000, the number of police officers and staff who received disciplinary action keeps the 300 range per year. On pace, the number this year will exceed the level of usual years.

In addition to briberies, cozy ties with crime syndicates, and systematic cover-up attempts, the violation of human rights such as sexual harassment and power harassment among police officers is standing out.

Akahata attributes the emphasis on security policing to their lack of human rights consciousness. The police place a great importance on watching and oppressing the Japanese Communist Party, union activities, and popular movements.

The JCP has been proposing that the police shift its centric nature from security policing to criminal policing, and abolish the privileged police bureaucracy system and guarantee the human rights and basic workers’ rights of each police personnel.