Japanese police talk shop during visit to Foster PMO

Photo By Spc. Leigh Campbell | 1st Lt. Christopher Kupka is attacked by a military working dog during a demonstration Jan. 25 for members of the Okinawa Prefectural Police Department.  

CAMP FOSTER, JAPAN

02.02.2007

Story by Lance Cpl. Bradley Rogers 

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

By Lance Cpl. David Rogers
III Marine Expeditionary Force PAO

CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan -- Military and Japanese police officers took some time to get to know each other better Jan. 25 when 18 Japanese policemen from the Okinawa Prefecture Police Department took a tour of the Provost Marshal's Office on Camp Foster.

The tour was part of the international investigation course at the Okinawa Prefecture Police Academy. The course is held annually for Okinawa policemen who need to learn more about international crimes. It typically involves tours of several international authorities including the Japanese immigration and customs offices and PMO.

The tour included classes and demonstrations from PMO along with demonstrations from their military working dog and special reaction teams.

However, the visit went beyond fulfilling the academic requirements of the academy officers, according to Maj. Bernard Hess, the provost marshal for Marine Corps Bases Japan. He stressed the importance the visit played in maintaining strong relationships with the Japanese police since the two law enforcement agencies often work so closely together.

Japanese and military police are called to the same crime and accident scenes outside military gates whenever a Status of Forces Agreement member is involved, said Akihiko Chibana, a foreign cases investigator with the Okinawa police. In those cases, events like the Foster tour improve cooperation skills between the two departments, he said.

"When they see the things we do and how we conduct business, they understand what to expect from us," said Cpl. Thomas Russell, a military policeman with the accident investigation section of PMO. "Just to be able to recognize a face at the scene of an accident can make an investigation go a lot smoother."

• Date Taken: 02.02.2007
• Date Posted: 02.02.2007 12:41
• Story ID: 9041
• Location: CAMP FOSTER, JP