Law enforcement is the activity of some members of the government or other social institutions who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by investigating, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. The term encompasses police, courts and corrections. These three components of the criminal justice system may operate independently of each other or collectively through the use of record sharing and cooperation. Throughout the world, law enforcement are also associated with protecting the public, life, property, and keeping the peace in society.
51-718: Law enforcement in Japan is provided mainly by prefectural police under the oversight of the National Police Agency . The National Police Agency is administered by the National Public Safety Commission , ensuring that Japan's police are an apolitical body and free of direct central government executive control. They are checked by an independent judiciary and monitored by a free and active press . There are two types of law enforcement officials in Japan, depending on
102-757: A European-style civil police system in 1874, spearheaded by the efforts of statesman Kawaji Toshiyoshi , under the centralized control of the Police Bureau within the Home Ministry to put down internal disturbances and maintain order during the Meiji Restoration . By the 1880s, the police had developed into a nationwide instrument of government control, providing support for local leaders and enforcing public morality . They acted as general civil administrators, implementing official policies and thereby facilitating unification and modernization. In rural areas especially,
153-637: A European-style civil police system in 1874, under the centralized control of the Police Bureau within the Home Ministry, to put down internal disturbances and maintain order during the Meiji Restoration. By the 1880s, the police had developed into a nationwide instrument of government control, providing support for local leaders and enforcing public morality. They acted as general civil administrators, implementing official policies and thereby facilitating unification and modernization. In rural areas especially,
204-850: A National Police Agency. The revised Police Law of 1954, still in effect in the 1990s, preserves some strong points of the postwar system, particularly measures ensuring civilian control and political neutrality, while allowing for increased centralization. The National Public Safety Commission system has been retained. State responsibility for maintaining public order has been clarified to include coordination of national and local efforts; centralization of police information, communications, and record keeping facilities; and national standards for training, uniforms, pay, rank, and promotion. Rural and municipal forces were abolished and integrated into prefectural forces, which handled basic police matters. Officials and inspectors in various ministries and agencies continue to exercise special police functions assigned to them in
255-811: A celebrity is arrested, it could potentially end their career. Authorities can detain a suspect for up to three weeks without charges. Solitary confinement is common and imprisoned suspects only get access to a lawyer . It is illegal to mail prescription drugs, and only designated parties in Japan are allowed to import them. If someone intends to bring more than one month of prescription medication, cosmetics, or medical devices into Japan, they are required to obtain import certification called yakkan shoumei (薬監証明). Regional Bureaus Police communications Bureaus Kobans Law enforcement The concept of law enforcement dates back to ancient times, and forms of law enforcement and police have existed in various forms across many human societies. Modern state legal codes use
306-545: A centralized system more compatible with Japanese political preferences. The 1947 Police Law was amended in 1951 to allow the municipal police of smaller communities to merge with the National Rural Police. Most chose this arrangement, and by 1954 only about 400 cities, towns, and villages still had their own police forces. Under the 1954 amended Police Law, a final restructuring created an even more centralized system in which local forces were organized by prefectures under
357-485: A firearm or firearms or a sword or swords" and there are few exceptions. Japan has strict regulations on medical and recreational drugs. Importing or using any type of narcotics is illegal and there is generally no leniency; for example, the possession of cannabis has a jail sentence of up to five years for the first offense. There are no exceptions for celebrities either, both in law enforcement and in Japanese society; if
408-484: A gun ownership of 0.6 per 100 inhabitants. The intentional death rate is low for homicides with 0.4 per 100,000 people in 2013. However, the suicide rate is relatively high with 21.7 per 100,000 in 2013. Prefectural police are established for each prefecture and have full responsibility for regular police duties for their area of responsibility . These prefectural police are primarily municipal police with their own authority, but their activities are coordinated by
459-569: A wide variety of non-criminal violations of rules and norms, effected through the imposition of less severe consequences such as probation. Law enforcement organizations existed in ancient times, such as prefects in ancient China , paqūdus in Babylonia , curaca in the Inca Empire , vigiles in the Roman Empire , and Medjay in ancient Egypt . Who law enforcers were and reported to depended on
510-589: Is a Japanese Cabinet Office commission. It is headquartered in the 2nd Building of the Central Common Government Office at 2-1-2 Kasumigaseki in Kasumigaseki , Chiyoda , Tokyo . The commission consists of a chairperson who holds the rank of Minister of State and five other members appointed by the prime minister , with consent of both houses of the Diet . The commission operates independently of
561-739: Is a national police agency, which supervises the police agencies for each individual prefecture ; and in Niger , there is a national police for urban areas and a gendarmerie for rural areas, both technically national-level. In some cases, there may be multiple agencies at the same level but with different focuses: for example, in the United States, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are both national-level federal law enforcement agencies, but
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#1732901184620612-459: Is autonomous or dependent on other organizations for its operations, the governing body that funds and oversees the agency may decide to dissolve or consolidate its operations. Dissolution of an agency may occur when the governing body or the agent itself decides to end operations. This can occur due to multiple reasons, including criminal justice reform , a lack of population in the jurisdiction, mass resignations , efforts to deter corruption , or
663-628: Is headed by a Commissioner General who is appointed by the National Public Safety Commission with the approval of the Prime Minister . The Central Office includes the Secretariat , with divisions for general operations, planning, information, finance, management, and procurement and distribution of police equipment. The NPA operates five bureaus. Citizen oversight is provided by the National Public Safety Commission . As of 2017,
714-518: Is highest police rank is only in Tokyo outside of it senior commissioner is the highest rank and chief outside of Tokyo, Prefecture police headquarters are commanded by Chief or Director General ( hunbocho ). There are several thousands of public security officials attached to various agencies. They are responsible for such matters as forest preservation, narcotics control, fishery inspection, and enforcement of regulations on maritime, labor, and mine safety. In
765-608: The Korean War , the 75,000 strong National Police Reserve (predecessor of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ) was formed outside the Regular police organizations to back up the ordinary police during civil disturbances. And pressure mounted for a centralized system more compatible with Japanese political preferences. The 1947 Police Law was amended in 1951 to allow the municipal police of smaller communities to merge with
816-655: The Manchurian Incident of 1931, military police assumed greater authority, leading to friction with their civilian counterparts. After 1937, police directed business activities for the war effort, mobilized labor, and controlled transportation, continuing throughout the rest of World War II . After Japan's surrender in 1945, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers retained the prewar police structure, but viewed their organization as undemocratic. A new system
867-403: The National Police Agency and the National Public Safety Commission . As of 2017, the total strength of police reached approximately 296,700 personnel, including 262,500 police officers, 900 Imperial Guards, and 33,200 civilian staff. Nationwide, there are approximately 23,400 female police officers and 13,000 female civilian staff. As the central coordinating body for the entire police system,
918-650: The s hurta , and the Maréchaussée provided services ranging from law enforcement and personal protection to customs enforcement and waste collection. In England , a complex law enforcement system emerged, where tithings , groups of ten families, were responsible for ensuring good behavior and apprehending criminals; groups of ten tithings ("hundreds") were overseen by a reeve ; hundreds were governed by administrative divisions known as shires ; and shires were overseen by shire-reeves . In feudal Japan , samurai were responsible for enforcing laws. The concept of police as
969-649: The 1660s in the Province of New York . The Province of Carolina established slave-catcher patrols in the 1700s, and by 1785, the Charleston Guard and Watch was reported to have the duties and organization of a modern police force. The first municipal police department in the United States was the Philadelphia Police Department , while the first American state police , federal law enforcement agency
1020-929: The 1749 establishment of the London Bow Street Runners , the first formal police force in Britain. In 1800, Napoleon reorganized French law enforcement to form the Paris Police Prefecture ; the British government passed the Glasgow Police Act , establishing the City of Glasgow Police ; and the Thames River Police was formed in England to combat theft on the River Thames . In September 1829, Robert Peel merged
1071-571: The 1947 Police Law. According to statistics of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime , among the 192 member states of the UN, and among the countries reporting statistics of criminal and criminal justice, the incidence rate of violent crimes such as murder, abduction, rape, and robbery is very low in Japan. The incarceration rate is very low and Japan ranks 209 out of 223 countries. It has an incarceration rate of 41 per 100,000 people. In 2018
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#17329011846201122-623: The 19th century, improvements in technology, greater global connections, and changes in the sociopolitical order led to the establishment of police forces worldwide. National, regional, and municipal civilian law enforcement agencies exist in practically all countries; to promote their international cooperation, the International Criminal Police Organization , also known as Interpol, was formed in September 1923. Technology has made an immense impact on law enforcement, leading to
1173-566: The Act on Remuneration of Officials in the Regular Service ( 一般職の職員の給与に関する法律 ) , a salary table for public security officials ( 公安職 , Kōan-shoku ) including judicial police officials is stipulated. There are other officers having limited public safety functions. The Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law of 1958 strictly regulates the civilian ownership of guns , swords and other weaponry . The law states that "No person shall possess
1224-833: The Bow Street Runners and the Thames River Police to form the Metropolitan Police . The title of the "first modern police force" has still been claimed by the modern successors to these organizations. Following European colonization of the Americas , the first law enforcement agencies in the Thirteen Colonies were the New York Sheriff's Office and the Albany County Sheriff's Department , both formed in
1275-722: The DEA focuses on narcotics crimes, while the ATF focuses on weapon regulation violations. Various segments of society may have their own specialist law enforcement agency , such as the military having military police , schools having school police or campus police , or airports having airport police . Private police may exist in some jurisdictions, often to provide dedicated law enforcement for privately-owned property or infrastructure, such as railroad police for private railways or hospital police for privately-owned hospital campuses. Depending on various factors, such as whether an agency
1326-496: The NPA has a strength of 2,100 police officers, 900 Imperial Guards, and 4,800 civilian staff, for a total of 7,800 personnel. All operational police units are organized into prefectural police for each prefecture . Prefectural police are organized and commanded by their respective Prefectural Police Headquarters, and each one has a Prefectural Public Safety Commission and numerous operational units. Most prefectural police are simply named
1377-483: The National Police Agency determines general standards and policies; detailed direction of operations is left to the lower echelons. In a national emergency or large-scale disaster, the agency is authorized to take command of prefectural police forces. In 1989, the agency was composed of about 1,100 national civil servants, empowered to collect information and to formulate and execute national policies. The agency
1428-424: The National Rural Police. Most chose this arrangement, and by 1954 only about 400 cities, towns, and villages still had their own police forces. Under the 1954 amended Police Law, a final restructuring created an even more centralized system in which local forces were organized by prefectures under a National Police Agency . The revised Police Law of 1954, still in effect in the 1990s, preserves some strong points of
1479-619: The Prefectural Police ( 県警察 , Ken-keisatsu ) of their respective prefecture (e.g. Shizuoka Prefectural Police ). However, certain prefectural police, especially those serving prefectures with larger populations, have different names: Tokyo 's police is the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department ( 警視庁 , Keishi-chō ) ; Hokkaido 's is known as Dō-keisatsu ( 道警察 ) ; and Ōsaka 's and Kyōto 's are known as Fu-keisatsu ( 府警察 ) . The total strength of
1530-583: The authority to arrest people for " wrong thoughts ". Special Higher Police were created to regulate the content of motion pictures, political meetings, and election campaigns. Military police operating under the army and navy and the justice and home ministries aided the civilian police in limiting proscribed political activity. After the Manchurian Incident of 1931, military police assumed greater authority, leading to friction with their civilian counterparts. After 1937 police directed business activities for
1581-521: The authority to arrest people for "wrong thoughts". Special Higher Police ( Tokko ) were created to regulate the content of motion pictures, political meetings, and election campaigns. The Imperial Japanese Army 's military police ( Kempeitai ) and the Imperial Japanese Navy 's Tokkeitai , operating under their respective services and the justice and home ministries aided the civilian police in limiting proscribed political activity. After
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1632-478: The cabinet, but coordinates with it through the Minister of State. The commission's function is to guarantee the neutrality of the police system by insulating the force from political pressure and ensuring the maintenance of democratic methods in police administration. It administers the National Police Agency , and has the authority to appoint or dismiss senior police officers. The Japanese government established
1683-534: The civilization and often changed over time, but they were typically enslaved people , soldiers , officers of a judge , or hired by settlements and households. Aside from their duties to enforce laws, many ancient law enforcers also served as slave catchers , firefighters , watchmen , city guards , and bodyguards . By the post-classical period and the Middle Ages , forces such as the Santa Hermandades ,
1734-575: The development and regular use of police cars , police radio systems, police aviation , police tactical units , and police body cameras . Most law enforcement is conducted by some law enforcement agency , typically a police force. Civilians generally staff police agencies, which are typically not a military branch . However, some militaries do have branches that enforce laws among the civilian populace, often called gendarmerie , security forces , or internal troops . Social investment in enforcement through such organizations can be massive in terms of
1785-494: The governing body contracting with a different agency that renders the original agency redundant or obsolete. According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police , agency consolidation can occur to improve efficiency, consolidate resources, or when forming a new type of government. National Public Safety Commission (Japan) The National Public Safety Commission ( 国家公安委員会 , Kokka Kōan Iinkai )
1836-562: The highest rank in the system but also assignment as head of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Police officers whose rank are higher than Assistant Commissioner ( 警視正 , Keishi-sei ) are salaried by the National budget even if they belong to local police departments. Designation and dismissal of these high-rank officers are delegated to National Public Safety Commission . The superintendent general which
1887-597: The police had great authority and were accorded the same mixture of fear and respect as the village head. Their increasing involvement in political affairs was one of the foundations of the authoritarian state in Japan in the first half of the 20th century. The centralized police system steadily acquired responsibilities, until it controlled almost all aspects of daily life, including fire prevention and mediation of labor disputes . The system regulated public health , business, factories, and construction, and it issued permits and licenses. The Peace Talk Law of 1925 gave police
1938-604: The police had great authority and were accorded the same mixture of fear and respect as the village head. Their increasing involvement in political affairs was one of the foundations of the authoritarian state in Japan in the first half of the twentieth century. The centralized police system steadily acquired responsibilities, until it controlled almost all aspects of daily life, including fire prevention and mediation of labor disputes. The system regulated public health, business, factories, and construction, and it issued permits and licenses. The Peace Preservation Law of 1925 gave police
1989-500: The police under the jurisdiction of public safety commissions controlled by the National Public Safety Commission in the Office of the Prime Minister . The Home Ministry was abolished and replaced by the less powerful Ministry of Home Affairs , and the police were stripped of their responsibility for fire protection, public health, and other administrative duties. When most of the occupation forces were transferred to Korea in 1950–51 with
2040-728: The postwar system, particularly measures ensuring civilian control and political neutrality, while allowing for increased centralization. The National Public Safety Commission system has been retained. State responsibility for maintaining public order has been clarified to include coordination of national and local efforts; centralization of police information, communications, and record keeping facilities; and national standards for training, uniforms, pay, rank, and promotion. Rural and municipal forces were abolished and integrated into prefectural forces, which handled basic police matters. Officials and inspectors in various ministries and agencies continue to exercise special police functions assigned to them in
2091-482: The prefectural police is 260,400 police officers and 28,400 civilian staff as of 2018, for a total of approximately 288,000 personnel. Police officers are divided into eleven ranks: The NPA Commissioner General holds the highest position of the Japanese police. His title is not a rank, but rather denotes his position as head of the NPA. On the other hand, the MPD Superintendent General represents not only
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2142-650: The primary law enforcement organization originated in Europe in the early modern period ; the first statutory police force was the High Constables of Edinburgh in 1611, while the first organized police force was the Paris lieutenant général de police in 1667. Until the 18th century, law enforcement in England was mostly the responsibility of private citizens and thief-takers , albeit also including constables and watchmen. This system gradually shifted to government control following
2193-541: The prison population was 51,805 and 10.8% of prisoners were unsentenced. Japan has a very low rate of intentional homicide victims . According to the UNODC it ranks 219 out of 230 countries. It has a rate of just 0.20 per 100,000 inhabitants. There were 306 in 2017. The number of firearm related deaths is low. The firearm-related death rate was 0.00 homicide (in 2008), 0.04 suicide (in 1999), 0.01 unintentional (in 1999) and 0.01 undetermined (in 1999) per 100,000 people. There's
2244-687: The resources invested in the activity and the number of people professionally engaged to perform those functions. Law enforcement agencies are limited to operating within a specified jurisdiction . These are typically organized into three basic levels: national, regional, and municipal. However, depending on certain factors, there may be more or less levels, or they may be merged: in the United States, there are federal , state , and local police and sheriff agencies; in Canada, some territories may only have national-level law enforcement, while some provinces have national, provincial, and municipal; in Japan , there
2295-418: The term law enforcement officer or peace officer to include every person vested by the legislating state with police power or authority; traditionally, anyone sworn or badged who can arrest any person for a violation of criminal law is included under the umbrella term of law enforcement. Although law enforcement may be most concerned with the prevention and punishment of crimes, organizations exist to discourage
2346-508: The underlying provision: Police officers of Prefectural Police Departments (prescribed as Judicial police officials ( 司法警察職員 ) under Article 189 of the Code of Criminal Procedure ( 刑事訴訟法 , Keiji-soshōhō ) ), and Special judicial police officials ( 特別司法警察職員 ) ; prescribed in Article 190 of the same law, dealing with specialized fields with high expertise. The Japanese government established
2397-469: The war effort, mobilized labor, and controlled transportation. After Japan's surrender in 1945, occupation authorities retained the prewar police structure until a new system was implemented and the Diet passed the 1947 Police Law. Contrary to Japanese proposals for a strong, centralized force to deal with postwar unrest—but in line with the thinking of American police reformers on the same subject—the police system
2448-408: Was abolished and replaced by the less powerful Ministry of Home Affairs, and the police were stripped of their responsibility for fire protection, public health, and other administrative duties. When most of the occupation forces were transferred to Korea in 1950–51, the 75,000 strong National Police Reserve was formed to back up the ordinary police during civil disturbances, and pressure mounted for
2499-469: Was decentralized. About 1,600 independent municipal forces were established in cities, towns, and villages with 5,000 inhabitants or more, and a National Rural Police was organized by prefecture. Civilian control was to be ensured by placing the police under the jurisdiction of public safety commissions controlled by the National Public Safety Commission in the Office of the Prime Minister. The Home Ministry
2550-417: Was implemented after the Diet passed the 1947 Police Law . Contrary to Japanese proposals for a strong, centralized force to deal with postwar unrest, the police system was decentralized. About 1,600 independent municipal forces were established in cities, towns, and villages with 5,000 inhabitants or more, and a National Rural Police was organized by prefecture. Civilian control was to be ensured by placing
2601-711: Was the United States Marshals Service , both formed in 1789. In the American frontier , law enforcement was the responsibility of county sheriffs , rangers , constables , and marshals . The first law enforcement agency in Canada was the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary , established in 1729, while the first Canadian national law enforcement agency was the Dominion Police , established in 1868. By
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