By DAICHI ITAKURA/ Staff Writer
February 13, 2025 at 18:09 JST
A total of 239 police officers nationwide were fired, suspended or subjected to other disciplinary actions for misconduct in 2024, according to the National Police Agency.
This marks a decrease of 27 officers from the previous year and is the third-lowest number since 2000, when record-keeping started, according to an NPA report released on Feb. 13.
The most common type of misconduct was sexual harassment and abuse, accounting for 32 percent, or 78 cases. This marks an 11-case decrease from the previous year.
This was followed by theft, including fraud and embezzlement, at 21 percent, or 52 cases, a decrease of six cases.
Third on the list were traffic accidents and violations, representing 15 percent, or 38 cases, with a decrease of 10 cases.
The report found that 30 officers were dismissed, 76 suspended, 104 had their pay reduced and 29 were reprimanded.
Of those, 57 were arrested, a decrease of four from the previous year.
More than 20 percent of the misconduct cases occurred at or were related to work.
By region, the Metropolitan Police Department, which oversees Tokyo, and the Hyogo prefectural police had the most officers disciplined with 20 each. The Fukuoka prefectural police followed with 18 cases.
Last year saw a series of wrongdoings committed by senior police officers.
The chief of the traffic division at the Okayama prefectural police was disciplined for sexually harassing his subordinate.
The Hiroshima prefectural police penalized a police station chief for repeatedly accepting excessive dining, drinks and gifts from his acquaintance.
At the Kagoshima prefectural police, there were a series of scandals, including a police officer leaking investigative information to an outsider.
Three officers were disciplined in connection with the scandals, and the chief was also given a verbal warning and a reprimand from the NPA.
The chief of the Kyoto prefectural police was also reprimanded by the NPA for verbally abusing his subordinate by saying, "I'll kill you."
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