The number of female police officers in Japan has hit a record high
of 17,686, with women making up 6.8 percent of all police officers across the
country as of April this year, a National Police Agency (NPA) report has
shown.
The record figures were reported in the nation's White Paper on
Police 2012, which was released on July 24.
Since 2002, over 1,000 female police officers have been hired each
year as part of a bid to revitalize
and enhance police forces across
the nation. The NPA said it will seek to expand recruitment of female
officers. "Female officers' abilities are utilized in investigations into
sex crimes and spousal violence
cases, as well as in supporting the victims of those crimes," the white
paper said.
According to the NPA, the number of female officers stood at 9,390 in
2002, when women made up 4 percent of all the nation's police officers. Now
the number is nearly double that. As of April this year, 224 female officers
hired by prefectural police headquarters were inspectors or ranked higher,
with 35 of them being superintendents.
In Hokkaido, a female superintendent heads a police station, while
another female officer in Aichi Prefecture works as a senior officer in the
Aichi Prefectural Police children and women's safety measures department. Yet
another female officer with Hiroshima Prefectural Police serves as an
instructor for students at a police academy.
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VOCABULARY
1.
Revitalize
- to put new strength or power into something
2.
Enhance
- to improve something
3.
Spousal
- a husband or wife
4.
Superintendents
- a high rank in the British police, or someone who has this rank
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1.
What can you say about the article?
2.
Have you seen a policewoman in your area?
3.
What do you think about policewomen?
4.
Name other men’s job done by women today.
