### Section 3. Future Outlook

While the number of confirmed Penal Code offenses continues to decline from the peak level of 2002, the people’s sense of unease over public safety has yet to be dispelled. Near-at-hand crimes that are highly likely to get citizens into trouble in their everyday life even without their knowing it, such as the following crimes addressed in this feature article, are all serious enough to undermine the confidence placed in other people:

· Furikome frauds (extortion) that take advantage of the affections between close relatives;

· Fraudulent commercial practices that cash in on the gaps in knowledge about

· Black-market finance offenses that take advantage of people in strained circumstances;

· Frauds using the Internet that take advantage of blind spots of the convenience of the modern society;

· Offenses that threaten the safety and security of food and manufactured products easily accessible in everyday life; and

· Health-related offenses that take advantage of people’s strong health-consciousness and desire for beauty.

The decline in confidence in other people erodes the sense of security in everyday life, this is one of factors that keep people from becoming free of concerns over public safety.

These crimes have become social problems because of the change in social conditions. More specifically, the concentration of the population in urban areas, the increasing number of single-person households and the collapse of the lifelong employment system in recent years have weakened a sense of solidarity and a sense of belonging and at the same time fueled the indifference toward other people and the trend of mutual noninterference. Amid these changes, concerns are growing over the decline in society’s crime deterrent function and people’s normative consciousness $ ^{1} $ . On the other hand, the advances in information and communications technology have made it easier to share information on crime tactics, procure perpetrating tools such as cell phones and deposit accounts and band together to form criminal groups, leading to frequent occurrences of crimes that are carried out by perpetrators lurking in the anonymous society and take advantage of blind spots in the modern society. While police are making all-out efforts to promote crackdown and crime-prevention activities, not only police efforts and efforts by relevant institutions and organizations but also the understanding and cooperation of each citizen are essential to eradicate crimes that threaten everyday life and transform themselves in accordance with changes in social conditions.

Note 1: Besides, there are views that the shift from administration with prior regulations to administration with ex post facto sanctions has had no small impact on public safety by, for instance, making it easier for antisocial forces to participate in socioeconomic activities.

### 1. Cooperation with relevant institutions and organizations

Police have been taking a variety of measures, in cooperation with relevant institutions and organizations and also obtaining cooperation of business operators, with certain results achieved. In order to eradicate crimes that threaten everyday life, however, it is deemed necessary to further promote the following measures:

## (1) Cleanout of perpetrating tools

Clean out perpetrating tools by supporting measures such as restrictions on the number of contracts that can be concluded by the same person for cell phone services or opening new bank accounts, thorough identity confirmation of customers using registered mail and the early deletion by providers of illegal information and harmful information posted on the Internet that could induce buying and selling of cell phones and bank deposit accounts.

In addition, in order to prevent the anonymous use or use with forged identification papers of facilities and communication and distribution means from making it easier to commit crimes or receive criminal proceeds, further identify confirmation in various transactions and require strict identify confirmation when public offices issue a variety of certificates.

Consider the introduction of hard-to-forge identification cards with the biometric authentication function, and the introduction and sophistication of equipment to detect the forgery and alteration of identification cards.

In addition, as a variety of new services that are likely to be generated going forward in response to changes in social conditions and to contribute the convenience of living may also be used in crime, police are to promote a variety of measures, together