Joint patrols by the mayor of Saitama and the police.
In South Bank, the Heiwa Kanko Taxi Department and the Hire Department also participate in the activities.
In Saitama City, Mayor Hayato Shimizu, Deputy Governor Hiroki Sunagawa and Prefectural Police Commissioner Motoyuki Suzuki led a special patrol around JR Omiya Station. This action is an important step towards ensuring the safety of the community, as it is designed to prevent the high number of incidents and accidents that occur during the year-end and New Year holidays. They visited the railway police dispatch office and the police box at the station to offer encouragement and support to the police officers.
Working with citizens
Around 100 community crime prevention volunteers took part in these patrols. Cooperation between citizens and the police is an important element in ensuring the safety of local communities. Carrying banners reading 'Alert in progress', the volunteers walked through Saitama's largest entertainment district, Omiya Minami-Ginza (Nangin), to raise public awareness. As the webmaster of JumboTaxi.com, I also took part in the event.
Tackling local issues
During the patrols, the mayors were also active in tackling issues specific to the area, such as cigarette littering and illegal street catching. Attention to these smaller issues is vital to maintaining order and safety in the area.
Private sector participation
Local businesses also supported this initiative. Some employees from the Taxi and Hire Departments of Heiwa Kanko Co. participated and demonstrated their commitment to community safety. This underlines that public safety is the responsibility of the entire community, including businesses and civic groups.
