Take our user survey and make your voice heard.
Two police officers committed suicide in Osaka and Miyazaki on Thursday by shooting themselves, the National Police Agency said Friday.
In a police station in Osaka's Chuo Ward, a 41-year-old officer was found at 9 a.m. in the basement floor toilet, wearing his uniform, and bleeding from a gunshot wound to his head, TV Asahi reported. His revolver was at his feet.
Police said he died shortly after. No suicide note was found.
Meanwhile, a 24-year-old officer apparently shot himself to death in a nap room behind a police "koban" in Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture. His body was found by a colleague at 7:10 a.m. Thursday after he didn't show up for duty.
Police said the officer left letters for his superiors and his family.
© Japan Today
14 Comments
Login to comment
johnnygaijin
If it's that tough then why not find some other kind of work? Better outcome than "suicide".
techall
@johnnygaigin:
Like what....a high paying security guard job?
41 yo and probably dead-ended in his job, notice it does not say "police sergeant" so might have been passed over for promotion a few times.
24 yo, WTF?
As I have said often on this forum, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. The only thing it ensures is that things are not going to get better.
nandakandamanda
Some surely join out of some enthusiastic romantic notion from childhood.
Sadly they see the worst of human nature, both outside and inside the force. How far should you harden your heart?
CrazyJoe
Potential suicide victims can mask their depression and that's why sometimes suicide comes as such a shock and surprise to people who knew the victim.
Jonathan Prin
Seems very weird cases to end this way...hot cases.
Jessica Marie Sato
Sorry for being completely off topic here but Koban's have nap rooms?
Alistair Carnell
Victims of bullying perhaps ?
Dre Hund
Not reported in Sky News.
kaimycahl
Wow and Japan is safe considering those who protect and serve can carry guns and they shoot themselves. Something is wrong with that picture. Do cops get psychological assessments?
kcjapan
"High-profile suicides are a common occurrence in Japan, where ending one's own life is still seen by some as the ultimate expression of atonement, rooted in the samurai belief in the value of ritual suicide." - "More than 70 Japanese people a day kill themselves"
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/04/japan-vows-suicide-rate-cut-cultural-resistance-mental-health
Sometimes suicide is not an impulse but a seriously planned and committed event. If the Guardian's report is accurate, there is a deep cultural significance in this act. These men might have been helped but for what the Guardian observed as Japan "has struggled to address cultural resistance to discussing mental health issues".
mayurasana
Interesting!
Novenachama
The incidence of police suicide seems to be a growing problem and since they are in a profession that has a greater risk for suicide with higher depressive symptoms then the general population I'm not surprised at what's happening. The law enforcement probably needs to include more education about this important topic in basic academies because as I understand they don't teach anything about police suicide and coping strategies. If agencies focused on mental health and wellness programs, including stress and trauma they could reduce officer suicides since that accounts for the high percentage rate of police suicides. But many police officers like to think they are tough and strong believing they can take it so that apparently poses a challenge in reducing these deaths and trying to get the police officers the help they desperately need.
sf2k
I truly wish Japan could find the notion unthinkable and decide instead to just change their lifestyles if they are unhappy. RIP