2017.05.12
Juveniles commit 27% of all criminal offenses
According to Okinawa Prefectural Police Juvenile Division, 1,018 juveniles under the age of 29 were taken to a protective custody or given police “guidance” because of criminal offenses such as robbery or physical violence. That consist 27.8% of all criminal offenses in Okinawa, which was the national top in 2016.
The Juvenile Division statistics show the rate of juvenile delinquency in Okinawa has diminished four years in a row, but it exceeds the national average of 17.1%. 552 of the offenders were junior high school students comprising more than a half of the total, also the highest rate in Japan.
63.9% of the offenders were accomplices in a criminal activity that is also the national highest for the 5th year in a row, the national average being 37.3%, and 50.1% were repeat offenders (the national average is 37.1%), the national highest for the third year in a row.
According to the Okinawa Police Juvenile Support Center, “A small delinquency, like loitering in the middle of the night often escalates to drinking and violence. So early detection and quick response to the problem is essential and would lead to more peaceful Okinawa.”