Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) (警視庁, Keishichō) serves as the prefectural police department of Tokyo Metropolis. Founded in 1874, it is headed by a Superintendent-General, who is appointed by the National Public Safety Commission, and approved by the Prime Minister.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department
警視庁
Keishichō
Asahikage
Headquarters building
AbbreviationTMPD
Agency overview
Formed1874
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionTokyo, Kantō region, Japan
Governing bodyTokyo Metropolitan Government
General nature
Operational structure
Overviewed byTokyo Metropolitan Public Safety Commission
Headquarters1-1 Kasumigaseki 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8929
Sworns43,566
Police Administrative Civilians3,015
Agency executives
  • Minoru Saitou, Superintendent General
  • Ogata Tdaomi, Deputy Superintendent General
Bureaus
Facilities
Stations102
Patrol Cars1292
Motorcycles958
Security boats22
Helicopters14
Dogs36
Horses16
Website
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (in Japanese)
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (in English)
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Headquarters in 1938
The Keishi-chō censorship department in 1938

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, with a staff of more than 40,000 police officers, and over 2,800 civilian personnel, manages 102 stations in the prefecture.[1]

The main building of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is located in the Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda ward, Tokyo. Built in 1980, it is 18 stories tall, a large wedge-shaped building with a cylindrical tower. It is easily seen from the street and a well-known landmark.

The HQ building is located in Sakurada Gate, so it is also metonymically called "Sakurada Gate".[2]

History

To prepare for the G20 summit in 2019, the TMPD announced the establishment of the Water Response Team in order to police bodies of water near G20 summit venues.[3]

Scandals

In 1978, the TMPD was investigated when a uniformed officer killed a female university student inside her residence.[4] In 1997, an officer was caught for making up information in an amphetamine case.[4]

In 2007, the TMPD was under scrutiny when a serving TMPD officer was involved in an incident where he used his official sidearm to shoot a female person to death before he committed suicide.[4] The TMPD was investigating an incident in the Kamata Police Station in Ota Ward where a police officer committed suicide in February 2014 due to harassment at work. The chief in charge was disciplined.[5]

Organization

The TMPD is under the command of a Superintendent-General and reports directly to the Tokyo Metropolitan Public Safety Commission. The Superintendent-General can be appointed and replaced at any time as long as the prime minister and the TMPSC receives their approval.[6]

Since the TMPD is autonomous, it does not operate under the authority of any Regional Police Bureau.[7]

The TMPD has nine bureaus that report to the Deputy Superintendent General:[1]

The TMPD also has its own academy, the Metropolitan Police Department Academy.

Ranks and insignia

The ranks used in the TMPD have been slightly revised in 2013, changing only the English translation of some of the ranks used by the force.[1]

Otherwise, these ranks are observed throughout its history.[8]

  • Superintendent-General (four gold rising suns)
  • Deputy Superintendent-General (not rank, but post of TMPD. gold-wreathed gold emblem with three gold bars)[lower-alpha 1]
  • Senior Commissioner (gold-wreathed gold emblem with three gold bars), formerly Superintendent Supervisor[lower-alpha 2]
  • Commissioner (gold-wreathed gold emblem with two gold bars), formerly Chief Superintendent[lower-alpha 2]
  • Assistant Commissioner (gold-wreathed gold emblem with one gold bar), formerly Senior Superintendent[lower-alpha 2]
  • Superintendent (gold-wreathed silver emblem with three gold bars)
  • Chief Inspector (gold-wreathed silver emblem with two gold bars), formerly Inspector[lower-alpha 2]
  • Inspector (gold-wreathed silver emblem with one gold bar), formerly Assistant Inspector[lower-alpha 2]
  • Sergeant (silver-wreathed silver emblem with three gold bars)
  • Senior Police Officer (silver-wreathed silver emblem with two gold bars)
  • Police Officer (silver-wreathed silver emblem with one gold bar)

See also

Notes
  1. Not observed from TMPD websites/books as of 2018.
  2. Minor adaptions were made by the TMPD in 2013.

References
  1. TMPD. "2019 Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department" (PDF). p. 34.
  2. 霞が関、桜田門、兜町...「別の意味」でも使われる東京の地名 - Money post web(01/14/2020)
  3. "東京五輪警備へ初の対テロ部隊 警視庁". Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). 13 May 2019.
  4. "Top Tokyo cop reprimanded for alleged murder by officer". The Japan Times. Kyodo News. 21 September 2007.
  5. Clegg, Cara (23 April 2014). "'Power harrassment [sic]' in Japan's police force blamed for officer's suicide". SoraNews24.
  6. "The Present Police Organizations of Japan and the Philippines" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-05-13.
  7. Nakahara, Hidenori (1956). "The Japanese Police" (PDF). scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
  8. "The Police of Japan" (PDF). National Police Agency of Japan. 1982. Retrieved 2019-05-13 – via National Criminal Justice Reference Service.
  9. Metropolitan Police Department, police stations Archived 2014-08-03 at the Wayback Machine, Ogasawara Archived 2014-10-02 at the Wayback Machine: 管内の概況 Archived 2014-08-09 at the Wayback Machine
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