Japan to introduce 'koban' to Bekasi

Japan to introduce 'koban' to Bekasi

JAKARTA: The Japanese government will introduce koban, or
police posts, to Bekasi as part of a pilot project to help
strengthen Indonesia's community policing, a Japanese envoy said
on Thursday.

"The pilot project will provide community police posts with
patrol cars, as well as a communication system," Japanese
Ambassador Yutaka Iimura said during a discussion organized by
the Indonesian Journalists Association.

"A building by itself is not enough as the police need to
respond quickly," he said.

The ambassador said there were already several Japanese police
officers in Bekasi preparing for the project, but he could not
provide an exact date when the project would be launched.

According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department website,
typical duties for officers assigned to koban include patrolling
the neighborhood, giving directions, handling lost and found
property, directing traffic and providing help for lost children.
--JP