2 police officers arrested for drunk driving in Hokkaido

Now they can really use the 'Sorry, we were drunk and cannot remember' excuse in all truthfulness!

Laurel-san and Hardy-san

Now more than likely ex police officers. They were green and probably very new and still on their probationary status. Hope the drink was worth the loss of the career.

Close all police offices in Japan? Interesting the different reaction given the anti American witch hunt following the DUI in Okinawa. These idiots were attached to a division tasked with a DUI crackdown. Just like the anti gropper unit members caught taking up skirt photos. What is wrong with these people? They should have their sentences doubled!

Ah, the J-cops at it again! I still want a J-cop/crimes section here, and there is more of a build-up to it than ever of late. And I'm with Blattamexiguus -- why not more outrage by Japanese on this instead of a seeming "Shouganai" attitude? Had it been an American -- marine or not -- people would have the pitchforks and hanging ropes out already.

How long is the is the training / police school here in Japan, anyone know?

For university graduates, it's six months, for 2-year college graduates it's 10 months. You also have to first pass a national exam to be admitted to the Police Academy.

Man, hate to chime in here - but then again, the cops in Japan provide such easy targets! I've known a couple absolute jokers who joined the police force - won't go into specifics but their acceptance led me to believe that the J cops do not attract the best and the brightest....

Living in Japan, you have to be very grateful that it is the society rather than the cops that keeps people honest here - these guys weren't just drunk driving, they were

a) drunk driving - sounds like several rounds of it b) involved in a hit and run and c) trying to cover up evidence.

I predict that they will be forced to apologize in a heartfelt manner with a 'moshi wake nai' and perhaps even forced to clean up around the police station for a month or two before being fully reinstated with honors. Too good a story and yes! we really should have a J-cop/crimes section as smithinjapan mentioned above!

At least no one died.

Set a thief to catch a thief?

This is hilarious.

Ah, the J-cops at it again! I still want a J-cop/crimes section here, and there is more of a build-up to it than ever of late.

Yeah! we want a J-cops crime section! Yeah!

I guess these two cops will keep their jobs, though they should be fired and never be allowed to be cops again.

Not just drunk driving. DUI hit 'n run.

Well done to the cops who arrested two of their own. This is good a good thing in a bad situation

wanderlust: Now they can really use the 'Sorry, we were drunk and cannot remember' excuse in all truthfulness!

But they went back to retrieve the license plate!! Seems like it'll be a bit hard to say "We had no idea about what happened", don't you think?

Good old J-cops, upholding their prestigious levels of profession.

Good to see they are living up to their keystone cops reputation.

were attached to a division to crack down on drunk arriving,

I believe they mean crack down on "drunk driving" ? Anyway, not a very good example for the police...

It seems like the j police are committing just as many crimes as foreigners. Time in protest against the police. I have seen articles of them groping, stalking and not remembering anything because they were "drunk."

They are minors , why they mentioned their names ...!!

"The two left the karaoke bar at around 4:20 a.m. "

better do a drug test as well

A family friend who graduated from a national university here joined a prefectural police force. She was 22 and a really smart young lass, nearly fluent in English and a black belt in Karate. She was aghast at how incredibly stupid the high school cadets were. They collectively could do nothing without being told what to to and were generally incapable of anything approaching common sense. She thought that is what the force wanted as they were easier to train than free thinkers. She was upon graduating police academy put into the police band and assigned to the public relations section and is to be seen on almost every community poster the police ever release. She's a fluent English speaker but she was told pretty much immediately she was assigned to the prefectural HQ she wouldn't be assigned to the office near the US base as she was too friendly. Go figure! These young cops aren't Japan's smartest and greatest. Those boys go for the fire service.

"the two officers... were attached to a division to crack down on drunk driving"

I see now. In order to crack down on drunk drivers, they had to go deep under cover, infiltrate the ranks of drunk drivers; set a thief to catch a thief, as the saying goes.

20 year old cops? These are glorified children with badges.

At least they didn't taser, then kill the other innocent driver in a hail of gunfire like somewhere we know.

I guess police all over the world beleave they are above the law!

A buddy of mine who is a police officer worked with the guy who molested a girl on the train a year or 2 back. It was all over the news. Anyways, that guy kept his job and probably these guys will too.

charlesreigh: "I guess police all over the world beleave they are above the law!"

Where is this 'police all over the world'? What I'm reading about are police attached to a division on drunk driving who were drinking and driving, caused an accident, fled the scene, then tried to hide evidence of their crimes on a number of levels -- and they'll probably keep their jobs, too!

"[They]were attached to a division to crack down on drunk driving..."

In order to understand a criminal, you must understand their mindset. They did drunk driving to understand those they would arrest. All a part to gain experience. ..

Drinking canned beer & chu-hai? BBQ @10 am? Karaoke too- These youngsters must've been pretty hammered.

Oh dear, they won't get a gold licence for a few more years now.......

Issei Otaka, 20, and Kazuma Tomoda, 20 found their true nature

Perhaps the Police Commissioner in Hokkaido should follow the example of the USA Admiralty and impose restrictions and an alcohol ban on police personnel.