U.S. Military Police to Conduct Solo Patrol in Naha

Naha, Okinawa Pref., Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–U.S. military police will conduct a patrol in Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, in the early hours of Nov. 1, in an effort to prevent a recurrence of sexual assault cases involving U.S. military personnel in the southernmost Japan prefecture, it was learned Thursday. This is believed to be the first time for the military police to conduct a solo patrol in downtown Naha, which is not near U.S. bases. On Tuesday, the military police informed the city government of their patrol plan. The military police have law enforcement power. “We understand (the patrol) as a self-help effort by the U.S. side,” a city official said. In April, the military police, the Okinawa prefectural police and others jointly conducted a patrol in a downtown district near a U.S. base in the city of Okinawa. The U.S. military later conducted a solo patrol there, resulting in an arrest. Patrols that do not involve law enforcement are conducted in downtown and other areas across Okinawa, including Naha, according to the military. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]