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Security services
the roles of police
by Erika
Introduction
In terms of security, the police play an essential role. Golden-Gai has a police station next to each other; therefore, it can be said that the place is a security-rich environment.
Whatever happens in Golden Gai, we always realize and go to the incidents to solve them.
(Policeman from Yotsuya Police station, Hanazono Koban, 2022).
New understandings that draw on people’s own perspectives and everyday life experiences are required to move us towards innovative and more spatially nuanced ways of thinking about security and securitization (Alexander, 2008).
There are always three policemen inside of the police station in order to keep the safety of the police station itself and the place around it. Not only three policemen, but also one or two more policemen go on patrol to keep the order of the area on a larger scale. The number of bicycles also explains how it is important to get to the incident place as soon as possible.
In order to spend the lives that people look for, or desire they need to have an understanding of each people’s understanding. Security, especially the role of police in this golden gai is keeping order and safe, at the same time, they are making a huge understanding of people’s lives in such a unique area.
1. Patrol with a Police Car
When you walk in the Golden Gai, you see police cars many times, compared to when you walk in the other areas of Shinjuku. They are just driving through the roads around the Golden Gai, therefore, they are basically patrolling around the area with a car.
The number of I saw police car within two hours of observing,
3 times in total / 2 hours
How do they patrol around the area?
Two hours of observing made me realize that they are patrolling the roads that I highlighted with light-green color. They do not go anywhere that way too far from Golden Gai, but they are more focusing on the area around the Golden Gai. When they patrol with a car, there are usually two people in the car to look around. One person mostly drives, and the person sitting next to him puts emphasis on looking around to check if anything is wrong with the place.
2. Emergency (Fire Alarms)
Since Golden Gai is a small area where all the buildings and bars are concentrated. There is more high possibility of fire becoming larger and more serious.
You can find such a red light above the bars easily in the Golden Gai. Each light on each bar is all connected to the other, which seems to have the same function. Therefore, it is clear that they have the same function.
The red light is connected to the larger buzzer on the gate. The function of the red buzzer is a fire alarm.
Since all bars are connected to each other by the red light, it automatically lets people know that the fire is caused.
In order to let more people know that they are in danger, the red buzzer on the gate (which connects to the red light) also rings.
Interviewing policemen, made it clear that these red lights have not been lit for more than 2 years.
3. The Ranking of reasons why POLICEMEN dispatches
There are many reasons why they dispatch. The reason differs depending on the place they work at. For example, in Kabuki-Cho, there are many guards who are stopping catch and nanpa in order to keep the order and peace of the area. Then, what about golden gai…?
The ranking of reasons why POLICEMEN dispatches!
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Stopping the conflicts
There are many conflicts between drunk people that the police need to stop.
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2. Make people pay for their own fees
There are some people who try to avoid paying for their own fees. When police got a call from the owner of the bar, they go to the bar and convince them to pay for it.
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3. Drunk people (who cannot talk, walk, but sleep)
Since they are all drinking in the Golden Gai (Golden gai is known for its drinking spot), there are many people who cannot talk, walk, or go home. Therefore, they patrol and find such people to help.
4. Pressuring (Characteristics of Policemen in Golden Gai)
Confidence in police is influenced predominantly by impressions that crime has decreased in the community or by having a positive encounter with police. In turn, confidence in police significantly increases feeling safe (Ackah, 2000).
One interesting characteristic of policemen in golden gai is that they are pressured with confidence. They do not talk to people in the area, they do not warn people, however, they are somehow showing their power. The way of showing power and pressuring comes from confidence as Ackah insists. Although they do not show their governmental force, people feel it and it eventually decreases the number of crimes. Therefore, one of the roles of policemen in golden-gai is pressuring people to stop whatever they might do to cause a problem. The pressuring process they have created a safe and protected area where people can feel relieved to drink.
And... So WHAT?
In terms of security, the police play an essential role. Police are one significant example that people can easily imagine when it comes to security. Specifically, they are protecting two things in Golden Gai, the environment and the community. Patrolling and dispatching are acts of protecting the environment since it provides a protected and safe place for people. Stopping the conflicts, on the other hand, can be considered an act of protecting the community. In order to keep the peace of the relationship between bar owners and customers, policemen interpose between them to avoid unnecessary conflicts. Therefore, bar owners can welcome the customers friendly again, and the customers would not feel mad at the bars or bar owners. There are numbers of roles that police plays in Golden Gai, however, they are all the behaviors of protecting the community and environment, which eliminating the possibility of losing communities because of the conflicts.
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