# Section 2. Activities of the National Public Safety Commissions (NPSC)

## (1) National Public Safety Commissions

The NPSC is comprised of Chairman, a Minister of State, and five members. The members are appointed by Prime Minister upon approval of both Houses. At the NPSC, they carry out duties by virtue of the authority of Police Act or other laws such as stipulating the NPSC Regulations, appointing local police administrators $ ^{1} $ and taking disciplinary actions, confirming if prerequisites meet actual objectives in designating Designated Boryokudans, etc. In addition, they indicate outline policies on police operations and manage the NPA, by supervising on prevention measures of various misconduct cases by police personnel.

During 2008, the NPSC stipulated 27 rules and partially amended the criminal investigation code. They also gave instructions on tackling matters regarding serious acquittals etc. and decided on the “Improvement of Questioning in Police Investigations.”

The NPSC usually holds regular conference every Thursday, but other than Thursday, they are trying to grasp public safety situation and police management, by the NPSC members visiting various places, exchanging opinions with the PPSC members, as well as inspecting the sites where police activities are being done. Such activities are being presented on website.

Note 1: Among Prefectural Police personnel, local police administrators are police officers in the class higher than Senior Superintendent

## (2) Prefectural Public Safety Commission (PPSC)

The PPSC and Area Public Safety Commission are comprised of five members in prefectures that include government-designated prefectures and three part-time members in other prefectures and areas. Mayor appoints the members with the consent of prefectural assembly.

The PPSC carries out numerous administrative duties linked to people’s lives, such as driver’s license, traffic regulations, payment settlement of crime victim benefit, superintending various businesses like antique dealer business. In addition it receives reports from Chief of Police Headquarters, etc. at regular meetings, etc. on the situations concerning occurrence of cases, accidents and disasters in the region, police efforts and public security and its various measures by the police, organization and personnel management. By superintending all this, the PPSC manages Prefectural Police.

The PPSC roughly holds three to four regular meetings a month as well as trying to grasp the situation of public security and police management by participating in Police Station Council, discussing with relevant organizations such as board of education, etc. or visiting the sites where police activities are conducted. Such activities are being presented on website.

## (3) Contact among Public Safety Commissions

The NPSC and the PPSCs conduct various liaison conferences in order to maintain close contact with each other. During 2009, liaison conferences between the NPSC and the PPSCs from across the nation were held twice, and opinions on efforts towards measures for realizing “powerful and trustworthy police” were exchanged.

During the same year, in each region and in Hokkaido, intra-jurisdiction liaison conferences between PPSCs and Area Public Safety Commission in Hokkaido were held a total of 14 times, with participation of NPSC members. Furthermore, a liaison conference comprising the 14 public safety commissions in Tokyo, Hokkaido, Kyoto, Osaka and designated prefectures were held, at which reports were made and opinions exchanged concerning the public safety situation in each prefecture and efforts by respective Public Safety Commission, with members from the NPSC attending.