大阪市内２４区有巡邏隊街防止頭犯罪

A few days ago the Mainichi News on-line reported the following:

街頭犯罪抑止:パトロール隊を配置　大阪市内２４区に

毎日新聞　2014年08月02日　00時05分（最終更新　08月02日　00時26分）

大阪市は１日、ひったくりなど街頭犯罪の抑止を目指す民間委託のパトロール隊を市内２４区に配置する取り組みを始めた。同市の昨年の街頭犯罪認知件数は約２万６０００件。全国の政令市で最悪の水準となっており、橋下徹市長は「２年後に２万件以下に減らし、ワースト返上を目指す」と目標を掲げた。

　市によると、民間の警備会社に委託し、巡視員１２０人が警察と連携して、平日夜間を中心に地域を巡回する。各区２〜６人で、繁華街を抱える北、中央、淀川の３区にはさらに計１６人を治安状況に応じて割り振る。

　この日午後５時過ぎ、制服姿の巡視員が淀川区役所を次々と出発。十三東駅前商店街などを見回り、通行人らに「ひったくりに遭わないよう、かばんは斜めに掛けて」などと注意を呼び掛けた。

　街頭犯罪などの認知件数を巡っては、大阪府警が２００８年以降の５年間で約８万件を過少報告した問題が発覚。府知事だった橋下市長が当時、「街頭犯罪の全国ワースト１位返上」を府警側に強く迫った背景がある。

　橋下市長は先月３１日の記者会見で、再び数値目標を掲げることについて「虚偽報告とは別問題だ。数値管理は必要だ」と述べた。【黄在龍】

(試譯文)

On the first (of August), Osaka began a measure to station private patrol parties in the 24 districts of the city aiming at deterring street crimes such as purse-snatching. Last year the known number of street crime cases of the city was about 26,000. It was the worst level among all ordinance-designated cities in the country; Mayor Toru Hashimoto disclosed the target of "reducing it to 20,000 or less cases in two years, and aim at getting rid of being the worst".

According to the city, a private security company was entrusted with 120 people to become inspection members who would cooperate with the police to patrol the area, with the night time in weekdays as the focus. In each district two to six people would be assigned. Also, according to the security situation, a total of 16 people would be assigned to the three districts of the North, the Center, and Yodogawa which were in the downtown.

On this day it was past 5:00 p.m., inspection members in uniform one after another departed from the Yodogawa ward office. They patrolled the shopping centers in front of Jusohigashi Station etc. and appealed to passersby for caution that “in order to avoid snatching, wear your bag diagonally" etc.

On the problem revolving around the number of known street crime cases, it was revealed that the Osaka prefecture police had under reported about 80,000 cases in the five years since 2008. This was the background in those days that Mayor Hashimoto who as the governor pressed on the prefecture police strongly for "getting rid off being the worst place in the nation on street crimes".

At a press conference held on 31st of last month, Mayor Hashimoto raised the numerical target again, saying that "false reporting is another problem; management on the number is required".

I look forward to seeing a better Osaka under the leadership of Mayor Toru Hashimoto.