Ministry for Change
UK needs the Japanese 'Koban'...
Plans for a new policing 'Green Paper' were unveiled today. Lauded by Gordon Brown for the amount of bureaucracy that they will cut down on, it is expected that the move will result in the boys in blue spending more time patrolling our streets and less time messing around with paperwork. The PM also reiterated the warning that youngsters carrying knives will from now on be prosecuted. So could it be that we're no longer doomed?
Perhaps. Brown's plans certainly sound nice, but they could be better: On a recent visit to Japan, Westmonster noticed a curious community policing tool called a 'Koban' - a kind of mini satellite police station away from the main one. Spread throughout the country, three to four officers manage each unit over a 24 hour shift helping to deal with or respond to local crimes as and when they happen. There are just over 6,500 koban throughout Japan, according to 2004 figures, touted by many as being one of the main reasons behind Japan's incredibly low crime rate. So why can't we have the same thing over here?
"We are clearing the decks, cutting the red tape, cutting back on bureaucracy, making it possible for policemen and women to spend far more time on the beat answering people's inquiries, in touch with local communities - a visible presence on the beat so that more and more people will see a policeman or woman there and able to help them", Gordon Brown said this morning. But why not kill two birds with one stone?
Situated in busy areas such as main high-streets or outside train stations, the koban system acts as both a deterrent for any criminal activity in the area, along as providing rapid response to any crimes that happen with in the sphere controlled by each individual unit. Police visibility is also increased, allowing members of the public to feel that the police force is a part of the community instead of just a force to be sent out by the state as an when it needs to be. Plus, whilst they're out in public they can also get on with their paperwork.
Just maybe this is one of the cheapest and most effective ways of keeping our streets safe. With a proven record in Japan and parts of China (though with a different name), perhaps it's something we should seriously consider.
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3 Comments
We used to have these in Bradford when I was a kid before and after the second world war. Funnily enough they were called police boxes, and came in various sizes. They were where the sergeant would meet the the foot patrols at appointed times, where you could be sure to find an emergency "phone" connected to HQ, where the patrol would stop and have a brew.
They were demolished as the system was "improved" and personal radios and cars came in.
These days I suppose the Chavs would set them on fire, and then stone the firemen when they eventually came to extinguish the blaze.
Hey, the Bradford Chavs have left the old Alhambra standing (just about) - an easy target if ever there was one. Maybe they'd be equally as kind to the ol' Koban...
It would take more than knives and curry to knock down the Alhambra.
Just what is used for these days I do not know.
Come back Wilson, Keppel and Betty.