U.S. Military, Okinawa Police to Hold Joint Patrol

Newsfrom Japan

Apr 10, 2025 18:45 (JST)

Naha, Okinawa Pref., April 10 (Jiji Press)–The U.S. military and the Okinawa prefectural police will conduct a joint patrol following a string of sexual assault cases involving U.S. military personnel in the southern Japan prefecture last year, people familiar with the matter said Thursday.

The patrol, slated to be held from the evening of April 18 to the early hours of the following day, will cover the city of Okinawa, mainly focusing on a downtown area near the U.S. military’s Kadena Air Base.

The U.S. military last July sought to hold a patrol together with the Okinawa police as part of efforts to prevent a repeat of the sexual assault cases.

The Okinawa police had initially been reluctant to hold a joint patrol with the U.S. military, because of the Japan-U.S. status of forces agreement, which governs U.S. troops stationed in Japan.

The agreement stipulates that if the U.S. military and the Okinawa police encounter a crime committed by U.S. military personnel, the U.S. side, in principle, takes the individual into custody.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]

Jiji Press