crime

Female police unit sent to flood-hit Okayama to ease tensions in shelters

11 Comments

Following torrential rains in west Japan, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has dispatched a unit of female police officers to help in flood-stricken communities in Okayama Prefecture. The team will stay there until July 29.

The Kizuna Police Unit is visiting emergency shelter facilities in order to consult with victims and give advice on crime prevention, Sankei Shimbun reported. Twenty-one women from the community safety division were assigned to the group.

Kuniko Takahashi, who is heading the team, said:  “I believe that the victims are tired both physically and mentally. We want to listen to their stories with sincerity in the hope that it lightens their burden.”

Some of the female officers in the group are originally from Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, which was one of the areas hardest hit by flooding and landslides.

Furthermore, victims in the afflicted areas have reported feelings of stress due to prolonged periods of evacuation and the fact that they have no personal privacy in shelters. By lending an ear to these victims of natural disasters, the Kizuna team hopes to alleviate their anxiety and prevent trouble between them, Takahashi said.

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11 Comments
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Probably theft (aka looting) is a major fact. If it were "anxiety" they'd send social workers or counselors, not cops. The "anxiety" could be about losing one's money or valuables.

"....give advice on crime prevention."

There you go.

The Fukushima evac centres and evacuated homes were hit with theft, and extra cops were deployed, as in this case.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I have always noticed that when in crisis, Japanese people, generally speaking, are not good at working as a team.

That, I think, is why these officers are required.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Why only females? Are men not capable of empathy too?

Clearly some old codger at the top of the pile thinking it's a women only area!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

No not at all, female or male, cops here are NOT trained counselors and just because they are women, people assume, like you here, that they are better at listening and assisting these refugees.

Maybe they have some training in dealing with the aftermath of disaster situations - we don’t know. This story is short on details about the female police unit. As-far-as females being better listeners than men, that is a fairly well known fact. You would have to be absurdly un-observant not know that men are on average not very good listeners compared to women. I would not doubt that there would be scientific studies on the subject. Men and women are of course not the same and have generally different strengths and weaknesses despite what some want to claim.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Good move, should help things.

No not at all, female or male, cops here are NOT trained counselors and just because they are women, people assume, like you here, that they are better at listening and assisting these refugees.

That is a piss-poor assumption.

Are they policewomen or counselors? I think these people need professional counselors, not female cops.

Yes! But because they are cops people inadvertently assume they are better than men at dealing with issues like these, but they are NOT trained to do this type of counseling, and neither are the male cops.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Good move, should help things.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

We want to listen to their stories with sincerity in the hope that it lightens their burden.”

Are they policewomen or counselors? I think these people need professional counselors, not female cops.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

I've got a tent and an orchid next door, I just couldn't live in a crowded shelter. The already high stress levels must be off the chart in these places. I hope having females lessens the chance of friction.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Two days ago I was in one of the community centres sheltering 300 people near Kurashiki after delivering a truckload of food from a local charity. The volunteers there, particularly the younger ones, and the local officials, are doing a fantastic job in very difficult conditions and I take my hat off to them.

However, for the people stuck there who last week were living in their own houses life is difficult. Just imagine yourselves for one moment living in a 2 or 3 square metre space separated from your neighbours by only a white sheet hanging on a makeshift frame with nothing much to do except worry about your friends and family and it's easy to understand why some people are feeling stressed and worse.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

What is this, a short story. Are we expected to read between the lines? Tension and trouble between whom? No doubt the shelters themselves have some female staff and/or volunteers so why are female police required? Bizarro.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Which just goes to show that Japanese male cops are insensitive and unable to handle people in stressful situations.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

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