Chapter 2 Ensuring Community Safety and Criminal Investigation

Section
1CrimeSituation
andCountermeasures
1. Criminal Cases
The number of confirmed criminal cases in2014 was 1,212,163, a decrease of 101,977(7.8%) cases from the previous year. The
number of cleared criminal cases in 2014 was
251,115, a decrease of 11,371 (4.3%) cases
from the previous year.

amount of financial losses caused by fraud
was the largest at approximately 84,627
million yen (46.5%). The total number ofconfirmed special fraud cases and the total
amount of financial losses caused by special
fraud have been increasing since 2010, when
figures for special fraud other than remittancecall fraud began to be compiled with figures
for remittance call fraud.
In particular, the total amount of financial
losses was the highest ever due to a sharp
increase in "cash delivery type" billing fraud,in which cash is sent by means including
delivery services.

2.
CountermeasuresagainstCrimesTargeting People’s Assets
Regarding the situation in the amount offinancial losses caused by property offenses,
in accordance with types of crimes, theTrends in confirmed and cleared criminal cases (1946-2014)(10 thou. cases/10 thou. people)
300

Confirmed cases

Cleared cases

Arrests(%)

Clearance rate (%)

10090

2002: 2.85 m. cases
25080
1998: exceeded 2 m. cases

70

2014: 1.21 m. cases

20060
15050
2001: 19.8%

100

2014: 30.6%

40

1973: 1.19 m. cases

3020501000

1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 (Year)

Note: Figures from 2008 to 2012 were based on statistics available as of August 1, 2014.

Trends in the number of confirmed special fraud cases/total financial losses (2005-2014)

Special fraud other thanremittance call fraud
Refund fraud, etc(Ca ses)
25,000(100 m. yen)600

20,000500

Advance-fee loan fraudBilling fraud

15,000Swindle of remittance byimpersonation
Total losses from remittance call fraud

10,000Total losses from special fraud
other than remittance call fraud
Total losses from all special fraud

400
300
200

5,000

1000020052006

2007

200820092010

2011

Note: Figures for special fraud other than remittance call fraud have been compiled since February 2010

- 41 -2012

2013

2014

The amount of financial losses caused by special fraud, classified by delivery method (2013 and 2014)
Bank transfer

Cash hand-overCash delivery by post

2013

112.1(22.9% )242.9(49.6% )

131.0(26.8% )2014

107.7(19.2% )

236.3(42.2% )212.1(37.9% )

0100

200

300

400

Cash card hand-over

3.5(0.7% )3.4(0.6% )500(Cases)

600

2 Ensuring Thorough and Appropriate
Investigations, and Responding to Reforms
within the Judicial System
The number of audio and video recordingsmade during the interrogations of suspects incases for trial by lay judges show anincreasing trend since April 2009, when thepilot program began nationwide. As for thecases concerning suspects with intellectual
disabilities, audio and video recordings weremade in 1,117 cases in FY2014, and theaverage recording time for each case wasapproximately 6 hours 30 minutes.
In September 2014, the Legislative Councilof the Ministry of Justice submitted a proposal
for the following systems to the Minister:
introduction of a system which requires, as ageneral rule, to make audio and video
recordings be made of the entire process ofsuspect interrogations for cases subject to trial
by lay judges, an agreement system that grants
conditions for prosecution in exchange forcooperation in evidence collection, etc., and asystem that involves the rationalization andstreamlining of communications interception.
Currently, the necessary laws are being
developed for the introduction of thesesystems.

Section 2 Developing Infrastructure for
Police Investigations
1 Enhancing Investigative Capability
In order to make up-to-date improvements
regarding proper and effective ways ofobtaining statements that represent the truth
during interrogations and regarding ways ofpassing on these techniques, the NPA
promotes
advancedandappropriate
interrogations. It has created the instruction
manual, “Interrogation: Basic Edition” inDecember 2012 and so on. Also, the NPA
promotes examinations of measures for theeffective use of DNA profile analysis and theDNA database, the rationalization andstreamlining of communications interception,and the advancement of investigativetechniques including the introduction ofundercover investigation, in order to breakaway from an excessive dependence oninterrogation and written statement, as well as
to respond accurately to crimes that are evermore advanced and complex due todevelopments in scientific techniques andother factors and to enable accurate
verification through objective evidence.

- 42 -The number of audio and video recordings made during interrogations related to cases for trial by lay judges,
and per-case average audio and video recording time (FY2009-2014)

No. of audio and video recordings

Avg. audio and video recordings(Cases)

14 hr. 2 min.
3,105 cases (842 min.)

3,500
3,000(Min.)

2,845 cases

2,637 cases

600

2,000500

1,500400

1,118 cases

3001,0000800
700

2,500

500

900

358 cases
14 min.
2009

359 cases
15 min.

17 min.

44 min.

3 hr. 7 min.
(187 min)200
10002010

2011

2012

Section 3 Initiatives for Protecting Womenand Children from Crimes
1 Handling Violent Cases Arising from theEntanglement of Emotions Related to
Romantic Attachment(1) Current Circumstances
There were 22,823 confirmed stalking casesand 59,072 confirmed spousal violence cases12
in 2014, the most confirmed cases of both,since the enforcement of the Anti-Stalking Act
and the Act on the Prevention of Spousal
Violence and the Protection of Victims.
(2) Measures
The police established a system that enables
cases in which the immediate securing of
personal safety is deemed necessary (e.g.,violent cases arising from the entanglement ofemotions related to romantic attachment) to behandled in an integrated fashion. The police
put the highest priority on ensuring the safetyof the victims and other individuals andsystematicallypromotepromptand

20132014 (FY)appropriate responses including arresting
suspects through proactively applying theAnti-Stalking Act, the Act on the Preventionof Spousal Violence and the Protection ofVictims and other current laws andregulations, undertaking protection measures
such as encouraging victims and otherindividuals to evacuate to safer places,securing their security and promoting theregistration of phone numbers in the 110
Emergency Call Registration System as wellas the installment of video cameras.
Moreover, in order to appropriately respondto consultations from victims and otherindividuals, the police have also introduced
Procedures of Support in Decision-making for
the Victims" and "Risk Determination
Check-list protocols.

12: Based on the enforcement of the Act for the Partial
Amendment to the Act on the Prevention of Spousal Violence
and the Protection of Victims enacted in June 2013, figures on
and after January 3, 2014 also include cases of violence
perpetrated by intimate partners in a relationship of sharedprincipal dwelling (excluding persons living together withouta relationship characterized as a marital relationship).

- 43 -

Trends in the number of confirmed cases of stalking, and spousal violence (2005-2014)(Cases)Stalking cases

Spousal violence cases

Cases in which couples lived together

70,00059,07260,0007,402

49,53350,00043,95040,00051,67034,32933,85228,15830,00020,00025,21016,888
12,22020,992

18,236
13,463

12,501

19,92014,657

16,176

14,82321,08922,823

14,61810,000

0

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

(Year)

Note: Stalking cases include the number of cases of continual shadowing, silent phone calls, etc. that do not infringe on the Anti-Stalking Act andother Penal Laws and regulations. Spousal violence cases are the number of cases where victims receive counseling after being subjected to physicalviolence from a spouse, threats to their life, etc.

Establishment of a System

Headquarters Response
System
Support personnel

Criminal Affairs
Department

Promptreportingas soon as acase isrecognized

PoliceStation

Guidance/advice

Community
SafetyDepartment

ReportingStructure- Commander in charge of the case
- Personnel preferentially designated to the structure
in dealing with the case
- Handling consultation through both the Community
Safety and Criminal Affairs departments- Procedures of support in decision-making for thevictims- Use of a risk determination check-list- 44 -

Personnel to bedispatched to thepolice station toassist inarrestingcriminals,
providingprotective
measures, etc.

Dispatchingsupport personnel
to the police station

Chief ofPoliceStation
Commanding