police response, and in addition, as an issue from the perspective of the organizational operation of Chiba prefectural police, it became clear that organizational management by senior officers was inadequate, that they lacked the ability to consider the case from the viewpoint of the victims and citizens, and that the “spirit of police reformation” was not thorough.

In view of these issues concerning organizational operation, Chiba Prefectural Police established the “Review Committee on the Organizational Operation of Front-Line Police” in April 2012, headed by the Chief of Police Headquarters, to undertake reviews of what the roles of senior police officers in police stations should be, how they should exert their leadership, etc. enhancement of education that incorporates citizens’ perspectives, and effective measures to thoroughly re-establish the “spirit of police reformation”. Following inspection by the Chiba establish committees, etc. headed by the Chief of Police Headquarters to promote policy reviews.

Section 4: Preventing Juvenile Delinquency and Promoting Sound Upbringing

## 1 Overview of Juvenile Delinquency

The number of juvenile criminal offenders in 2011 was 77,696, a decrease of 8,150 from the previous year (9.5%), showing a decline for the eighth consecutive year. However, in terms of offenders per 1,000 persons in same-age groups, the rate continues to be high at 4.9 times that of adults. In addition, the percentage of re-offenders among juvenile criminal offenders has increased for the fourteenth consecutive year, rising to 32.7% in 2011, an increase of 1.2 points over the previous year, the highest level since 1972.

Trend in number of juvenile criminal arrests/population ratio (1949-2011)

Note: Population ratio represents arrests per 1,000 persons in the same age group.

PPSC, these were prepared as guidelines and subsequently implemented.

Meanwhile, the NPA established the “Review Committee on Comprehensive Policies for the thorough Establishment of the ‘Spirit of Police Reformation’” within the agency, headed by the Director General of the Secretariat, to undertake comprehensive reviews of new policies. Together, these committees issued instructions to prefectural police forces nationwide to assume that the issues from the perspective of organizational operation that came to be understood through the re-examination of Chiba prefectural police applied also to themselves, and following confirmation of actual conditions within each prefectural police force, to implement the necessary policies and further enhance approaches to entrench the “spirit of police reformation” within their organizations, and to 2 Comprehensive Measures for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency

## (1) Creating a Society that does not Produce Delinquent Juveniles

The police have established juvenile support centers in all prefectural police. These centers, run mainly by juvenile guidance officials, undertake comprehensive measures against delinquency such as the provision of continuous guidance, juvenile counselling, street guidance and enlightenment activities, etc. From 2010 onwards, from the perspective of improving youth morals and enhancing social ties, police have worked to create a society that does not produce delinquent juveniles through activities such as offering back-on-track support activities that reach out to youths and nurturing a social trend towards keeping a stern but kind-hearted watchful eye on youths, etc.