Walking the beat in Japan, a "heaven for cops"
CBSN
The essence of Japanese law enforcement is at the koban, or "police box." Besides more than 1,000 police stations, Japan operates 6,000 koban, and an equal number of smaller rural posts, blanketing every corner of the country. Close to half of the nation's cops are assigned to one.
Officer Maika Suzuki said the koban puts police at arm's reach in a crisis: "Dialing 911 seems easy," she told correspondent Lucy Craft, "but sometimes victims are too scared to call from home, or maybe they're not sure if their problem is really an emergency. So, they come down to the koban." Koban operate like mini-police stations, but their responsibilities are vast, extending far beyond handing out traffic tickets and traditional law enforcement. Cops have evolved to become a kind of one-stop-shopping for problems large and small — whether it's giving street directions; finding a hotel room; lending carfare to cash-strapped commuters; or even patiently listening to marital spats.More Related News
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