crime

Crime declines for 12th consecutive year; monetary fraud up

22 Comments

Police across Japan arrested a total of 590,000 individuals for murder, theft, and other various crimes in the six months from January to June this year, according to a report from the National Police Agency.

This marks the 12th consecutive year in which the overall crime rate in Japan has continued to drop.

The NPA compared the first six months of 2014 and that of 2013, and found that the total number of crimes across Japan fell by nearly 30,000, TBS reported. Within the total number of reported crimes, however, the number of monetary fraud cases rose to a total of 1,969. The NPA noted that bank fraud and other types of monetary fraud rise in direct relation to the increasing popularity of online shopping, and other means of digital spending.

The NPA found that in particular, cases in which customers shopping on online auction sites would send their money for the item they bought, but never receive it, were the most common type of monetary fraud. When compared to previous years, the total amount of financial damages sustained from monetary scandals is at an all time high this year, the NPA said.

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22 Comments
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Good news I guess... but crime statistics gathered by the police are nototriously unreliable. Especially where police force performance is measured solely in numbers as it is in Japan.

Case in point: Last year I found a $3000 Pinarello bicycle with its lock ripped off and gears jammed and brought it to my local Koban. It had been lying in a field near my home for a few days. The police insisted that there was nothing suspicious, the owner might return, and that they would arrest me if I didn't dump the bicycle back in the field.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

As always, typical JT posters can't stand hearing any positive news about Japan, still find something to complain about even if the crime rate has gone down.

Yes yes, I'm sure your home country has even lower crime rates and the police do excellent work and nobody complains

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Seems there is one particular statistic of interest that has been unreported or maybe there was a decline in that demographic group and therefore was intentionally left out of the report?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

When I find a nice bike that appears to be stolen, I take it straight to the Koban were the police contact the previous owner, via the compulsory yellow registration number, for me so that I can keep the bike. I have done this at least twice.

In the distant past I just picked bikes out of rubbish, and received an informal caution since it is against the law to do so.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Population has been declining, crime has been declining. Aging population likewise means less crimes - not to say that old people don't commit small crimes like shop lifting (or simply forgetting to pay) but they're rarely prosecuted because no-one wants to throw a granny in jail.

Once all the population variables are taken into account I'm pretty sure this won't look like a triumph of policing, but rather yet another symptom of a dying nation.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

590,000 in 6 months is still an insane number...

You think so? In a country of over 120 million people that number is not so high in comparison to other developed countries.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Out of 590,000 arrest how many are still in jail.... !!!!!

And how many of those are actually innocent..

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I am with Hide Suzuki but while there are ridiculously low levels of violent crime and theft (and all crimes which can be seen) there is also a fair amount of fraud and corruption (crimes which cake place in language / lies) and Japan's place in the corruption rankings produced by Transparency international (18th) http://www.transparency.org/country#JPN is a lot lower than its place in the OECD crime statistics (typically 1st, or 2nd after Spain this year). http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/550717741440 However I see also that the victimisation stats produced by the OECD now have a consumer fraud and corruption element were Japan is top (lowest rate) in consumer fraud and third after Finland and Sweden for victim experience of corruption.

However again, I wonder of the extent to which Japanese are aware of corruption or classify behaviours as corrupt. E.g. there are amakudari everywhere but no one bats an eyelid.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

White collar crime affects just as much if not more since the effects are often widespread among the mass and long lasting. Killing a guy affect hims and his family. Monetary fraud against a system affects everyone inside that system for years to come. Some loses decades of pensions and homes..etc. Often the end result is suicide.

The write of this article really need to put things into perspective.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

That bicycle comment strikes a cord with me. I found a bike like that once, took it to a Koban and got the same answer. However, my son's bicycle was stolen and was recovered a year later four or five train stations away. Go figure?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Out of 590,000 arrest how many are still in jail.... !!!!!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Aging society with declining population generally see lowe crime rates unless grannies become terrorists.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

So 590,000 is the number of arrests. What is the number of reported crimes? Also, I'm assuming there are a number of cases (especially financial scams) where more than one person was arrested for the same crime. If it's not reported then I'm guessing it's probably embarassing

1 ( +1 / -0 )

On a side note, I wonder how many of these "ore, ore", it's me scams are perpetrated by someone close to the elderly person? I find it a little remarkable that these scam artists can get so lucky just cold calling these people. I think there must be more inside jobs than we are led to believe While it may not be a direct family member, a distant relative, or a friend of that person who may have intimate knowledge..

1 ( +1 / -0 )

590,000 in 6 months is still an insane number...

0 ( +4 / -4 )

"Police across Japan arrested a total of 590,000 individuals for murder, theft, and other various crimes in the six months from January to June this year, according to a report from the National Police Agency. "

"Good news I guess" too...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@ozellis

I also thought the number was high. But as a crude comparison, the number of recorded crimes in Scotland in 2012-13 (12-month period) was 273,053. That's with a population of 5 million. So one crime per 18 people. There is a police clear-up rate of 50%, so with a conservative estimate of one person arrested per two crimes, that seems far higher than Japan.

The number in the article is for arrests, and I guess if someone is arrested for multiple crimes (or multiple charges for the same crime) the same people may be counted more than once.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Safe n honest Japan. At Macdonald today, the 13th July 2014, my Japanese friend sent a photo he took, showing a group of young Japanese men leaving their iPhones and car key on the table and disappearing to the cashier counter to place their orders. Returning to their table later where everything stays where they were left. I thought that was amazing.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@timtak

I agree, legal corruption (as one will find in the USA and perhaps a few other countries as well of course), is still corruption.

Btw Hide Suzuki, the one time ever I went to the police they refused to even listen to my issue (In Japanese). That's why the statistics here are so skewed, if you don't let people report crime how can you solve it? I thought I must be in India or something & I was from a lower caste.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

amount of financial damages sustained from monetary scandals is at an all time high this year, the NPA said.

how much? Oh, no tough questions please.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Minus the number arrested for bike theft, riding tandem on a bike or no light at night, drunk & disorderly, etc. etc. and then what is the number of arrests? (Vs murders by bullet?)

There is nothing really surprising or alarming here, folks... please move along.

PS

There is a nice-looking bike in the little river in front of Sky Tree. Been there for at least 6 months. Wonder what the police might decide about that?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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