Crime Watch Patrol Car Assistance

Indepth Articles

[May. 19, 2008]

David Tharp
The Nippon Foundation

The first patrol car, in Meidaimae, Tokyo

Generally speaking, Japan has long been one of the safest countries in the world. People can walk around any town late at night and feel relatively secure. Foreign visitors to Japan often comment on the sense of safety.

And while this continues to be true for the most part, some neighborhoods have started to develop local crime watch monitoring to make sure the streets and people stay safe and out of harm's way.

The volunteers who donate their time to local crime watch groups are now being provided with supportive funding from the Nippon Foundation to buy "Crime Prevention Patrol Cars." These distinctive cars will have blue lights affixed to the roof (instead of the flashing red lights of typical Japanese police cars), and the lower half of the car frame will be painted in black. They will also have a Nippon Foundation sticker affixed to the vehicle, identifying it as belonging to a local neighborhood crime prevention organization.

This Nippon Foundation project began in January 2008, and the goal for this year is to donate 30 patrol cars to crime prevention groups around the Tokyo area. To qualify for the patrol cars, organizations need to provide documented proof of their recognized NPO neighborhood crime prevention status.

The patrol car concept is starting to catch on, especially in the Tokyo area, and this has stimulated a local cottage industry of patrol car accessory goods such as different types of blue lights to affix to the roof of the car. These range from simple magnetic blue lights that easily attach to the roof, to larger versions that can be permanently mounted on top of the car.

Distinctive handheld traffic-warden blue lights, to be used at pedestrian crossings for sheparding school children safely across the street are also on the market, and velcro arm bands with small blue flashing lights are becoming part of the crime prevention watch uniform. The message is that neighborhoods are taking their crime prevention very seriously, so that the streets stay safe!