News Thinning police presence: combinis offer 'safety points'

[thomas]

Due to decreased police presence, Japanese convenience stores increasingly act as de facto community safety centres. This includes responding to emergencies involving women and children, which can put employees in complicated and potentially life-threatening situations. The "safety station" initiative, a collaboration between convenience store chains and the NPA, began in the 1990s to leverage the omnipresence of combinis. While initially regional, it expanded nationwide in 2005, recognizing the valuable role these stores could play in enhancing community safety.

The activities include responding to women and children in crisis, looking out for seniors suspected of suffering dementia and preventing youth crime, with around 10 categories in total. These are carried out at the stores' discretion as part of the operating companies' social responsibility tasks. Nationwide, 56,719 stores were participating as of December 2023.

"Safety station" at Lawson in Sapporo (photo credit: Ito Haruka via Mainichi)​

One factor is the declining number of police substations and local police boxes or "koban" across the country. Kobans have dropped from 6,455 in 2005 to 6,215 in 2024, while the number of substations, where officers take residence, has dropped from 7,333 in 2005 to 5,923 in 2024. At the same time, convenience stores have expanded from 42,643 stores in 2005 to 57,019 in 2023. The NPA's community safety planning division considers the stores participating in the "safety station" program to be an important part of community safety. According to a JFA survey, at least 4,448 locations responded to women in crisis over 6,681 incidents in 2023. The most common time for these to occur was between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., with stalking, being approached by a stranger and violence including domestic abuse as the top reasons. Serious cases have included a girl in junior high school fleeing abuse by her father and a mother and child who were saved from abduction and confinement after passing a note reading "please call the police" at the register.

Japan convenience stores filling role as local safety refuges as police presence declines - The Mainichi

SAPPORO -- Japan's convenience stores are taking on tasks once handled by the dwindling number of local police boxes, instituting measures to respond

mainichi.jp

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[Lothor]

I hope that employees are being sufficiently trained and paid for taking on these potentially difficult situations.

 

[mdchachi]

I hope that employees are being sufficiently trained and paid for taking on these potentially difficult situations.

Maybe they have 7-11 issued 刺股

 

[Grandpa Frank]

 

[thomas]

I hope that employees are being sufficiently trained and paid for taking on these potentially difficult situations.

I assume they were trained to call the police.

Maybe they have 7-11 issued 刺股

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