### 4. Immediate Response to Cases and Accidents

In the occurrence of incidents or accidents, police officers stationed in koban and chuzaisho immediately head toward the scene of action and take measures to arrest the criminal etc. In order for police officers to reach the crime scene without delay, the police are promoting measures including the utilization of patrol cars, while maintaining systems for receiving “dial 110” calls and relaying directives to police stations.

## (1) Current Status of “Dial 110”

Although the number of dial 110 calls received in 2009 increased by approximately 120,000 over the previous year to around 9.04 million, the number of calls still remains high. This figure means that a call was made every 3.5 seconds, and that 1 out of every 14 citizens placed a call. Furthermore, calls made from mobile or other wireless phones accounts for 64.2%.

The police declared January 10 as “dial 110 day” and are asking people to use dial 110 calls appropriately by using “# (sharp) dial 9110” set up exclusively for the purpose of dealing with consultations that do not require urgent response. The police also ask that when dialing from a mobile phone, callers specify the location, address, and landmarks and try not to change locations while calling.

## (2) Communications Command System

In order to respond to dial 110 calls appropriately, the Prefectural Police has set up a communications command center. When the communications command center receives a dial 110 call, they will immediately notify the police stations of the contents of the call, direct patrol cars and community police officers from the koban to the scene, and issue emergency deployments $ ^{1} $ depending on the situation. The number of emergency deployments executed was 8,868 in 2009, a decrease of 1,189 compared with the previous year.

The average response time $ ^{2} $ in 2009 for dial 110 calls directly received by communications control center at police headquarters was 6 minutes 58 seconds.

In order to cut down on response time, the police are making efforts to upgrade the communications command system by introducing measures including a Geographic Information System (GIS) which enables rapid pinpointing of a call’s location, and a car locator system that facilitates the monitoring patrol car activities. As of April 1, 2010, the system notifying location information at the same time while talking over the telephone when informing on dial 110 calls using the cellular phone etc. (Location information notification system) was implemented in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and 45 prefectures. Operation is scheduled to begin in Shizuoka Prefecture during 2010.

Note 1: Inspection, interrogation, standing watch by stationing a police member who is from a regional police office to arrest the suspect promptly when serious incidents occur.

2: The time required until police officers arrive at the site after the communications command center receives dial 110 calls, and relays the information to them via their patrol car.

## (3) Patrol Car, Police Helicopter and Patrol Boat Activities

The patrol cars deployed to police headquarters and police stations nationwide are used in cooperation with the community police officers of koban and chuzaisho to patrol the area and are the first to respond in the