U.S. military rejects police request to question two boys suspected of shoplifting

Wednesday 16th April, 12:30 PM JST

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jambon at 11:02 AM JST - 16th April

“The Okinawa City Police stated that they would contact the suspects at a later time.

Oh!

“The suspects were then taken into U.S. custody. ... The Marine Corps is fully cooperating with the Okinawa City Police and will make the suspects available for Okinawa City Police investigators to conduct their investigation.”

Oh, oh!

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=54091
dano2002 at 01:06 PM JST - 16th April

something does not add up. shop clerks siezed the boys? come on! what Japanese shop clerk would be able to subdue 16-17 year old boy?
the_sicilian at 08:13 PM JST - 16th April

Normally, the J-police arrive first and take them away. After questioning, they give them back to the military. Then the gomenasai money and apologies follow.

Then, the military kicks the offender off island. Now, if the offender is a minor, they are gone and usually a parent goes with them. Then if there are more than one in the family, it breaks up the family, as all of the kids will go back with mommy....I think this could be reduced a little, to severe restriction and some mandatory counseling.

Now on a second offense (for something minor like this), then kick them out. If the first offense involves violence, then zero tolerence. The kid has to go.

Addiu
VOR at 09:39 PM JST - 16th April

I have to tell you folks, as ardent defender of the US Military here in Japan, this one has me extremely bothered.

Stupid kids are one thing, stupid cops are another. The lack of supervision, very troubling.

Japan has complete jurisdiction over all crimes committed outside the gate. There is no gray area here folks. If the Japanese cops want to question suspects already apprehended by military personnel or gain access to crime or accident scenes, they have every right to do so. It is their country, it is their jurisdiction. SOFA does not prevent it.

How the Marines can send a couple of boneheads out either untrained or unsupervised has me livid. These guys do very little on the own without communicating at least back to a desk sergeant. Someone back at the base had to instruct them what to do. Who the hell allowed it?

In my opinion its time for the new US Forces Japan commander to clean his house. He's been handed a huge mess. This is something he can take swift action on. He needs to send a strong message up and down the chain of command that this stupidity will end. I'd be extremely disappointed if some senior officer's career is not over before the end of the week and permanent damage is done to the careers of those who should have been paying more attention.
the_sicilian at 06:05 AM JST - 17th April

Both of them were handed over to the Okinawan police this week. I think the MP's were a little too quick on this. The kids should have gone to the J-cops first. All they would do is question them until they admitted their deeds. Then after being scared of going to J-jail, they would have been handed over to the MP's.

No harm, just a misunderstanding by the MP's and their supervisor. They should be disciplined a little.

Addiu
scribe at 11:07 AM JST - 17th April

Whatever happens in this case, one thing is for sure -- the Okinawa police will now be even more adamantly against forming joint patrols of entertainments districts popular with GIs with their MP counterparts. They want to be assured they -- not the US military -- have custody rights over SOFA-status Americans caught misbehaving out in town.
skipthesong at 07:00 PM JST - 17th April

If I had the power, all US military people would not be allowed to bring their families to Japan. They are way too spoiled on those bases here in Kanagawa, I could only imagine what Okinawa is like.

Time to save the cash, kick out the dependents
Maze at 08:16 PM JST - 17th April

Let’s look at it in another way, in the United States the military police would not leave their bases and arrest someone without the local police. A military dependant would be arrested by the local police. Not taken away by the military police. This turns Japan into a third world country where the Americans push themselves upon the local people. Japan has judicial authority in Japan not the Americans.
VoXman at 07:55 PM JST - 18th April

Upon reading the Stars and stripes version of the events since it goes into more detail, It would seem that the Mil Police are definately wrong in this case. And we can't just write it off to 2 buffoons who didn't know the SOFA rules of custody and jurisdiction. If the J-Police showed up and demanded custody and yet the Mil Police still said no. Its because those 2 Mil Police called their supervisors for advice. And I doubt he or she made that decision on their own. Probably went to the CDO Command Duty Officer maybe higher!. So somebody screwed up bad and when its over...big time gomeni's on the way.....
VoXman at 08:30 PM JST - 18th April

skipthesong

Great idea! Oh wait whose going to come here for 3 years without dependents? Oh wait one year tours! Yep, 50,000 servicemembers rotating every year. Smart we'd run out of people to rotate over here in a short time by draining other units and commands all over the world to statisfy this policy. And what about those who aquire dependents while they are here. Lucky we have people who think these things through before going off half cocked.

Why is it every time someone adult or child committs a crime all the America bashers start crying for the US to leave Japan. What would you all do if every time a Japanese tourist committed a crime or misdemeanor in Hawaii. All the Americans started saying bar the Japanese from Hawaii. See everytime I go there, I and my wife end up helping to settle at least one dispute between a Japanese and a local store owner, or policeman who doesn't understand Japanese. Yet no one says that in the News or the newspapers. And not because the Japanese spend so much money there. When in fact, the US Mil does more per capita moneywise for the local economy than all the Japanese tourist to Hawaii combined. No outrage in Hawaii.
Gloobey at 01:06 AM JST - 20th April

The war has been over for a very long time indeed. Time for the US forces to go home. They aren't an army of occupation anymore and they are simply not needed.
Loki520 at 08:59 AM JST - 20th April

Gloobey is right. What we should be doing is setting up the logistics, and exit strategy, to remove all troops and their families from the country of Japan. There is no need for us. After all, the security and peace of the Pacific region is not important in the overall picture anymore. China has shown how nice they can play with everyone (Taiwain, Tibet, etc.). The Russians have shown they can finally be trusted to not steal everything they can (Kurii's), and the DPRK has been quiet for YEARS with the saber rattling and threats. The whole area is like the Brady Bunch. Very happy family indeed.

There is absolutely NOTHING more important than stopping the .0000001% of military members, or dependents, from committing crimes in Japan. REMOVE THE OCCUPATION ARMY!!! SEND THEM HOME.
Loki520 at 09:10 AM JST - 20th April
Skipthesong, that great policy of yours is just an example of why you DON'T have the power. Lack of foresight and ability to see the results of such a policy will always hinder your promotion to Commander in Chief.
- It would end up costing more. Not only in money, but in every other way.
- You think the military does a terrible job of holding it's people accountable now? Imagine if there were THREE times as many people to train. That is what would happen under you plan. Tours would be shortened, resulting in less time in Japan. Which menas a greater turnover. More fresh faces every day, each one needing to have behavior expectations beaten into thier noggins.
Gloobey at 03:33 AM JST - 21st April

Bless you Loki520 for making my point for me so eloquently. Japan is in more danger from China that needs me PURELY because US forces are here with missiles trained on the Chinese mainland. As regards Taiwan and Tibet, regardless of what you and I think of Chinese foreign policy, there is an argument for saying that both Tibet and Taiwan are Chinese sovereign territory...which is a lot more than can be said for Iraq, right?

Your American aren't you? Are you here protecting us all in some way? Should I be thanking you...?
Proffessor at 09:01 AM JST - 22nd April

From ABC and quote.

"Under pressure to meet combat needs, the Army and Marine Corps brought in significantly more recruits with felony convictions last year than in 2006, including some with manslaughter and sex crime convictions.

Data released by a congressional committee shows the number of soldiers admitted to the Army with felony records jumped from 249 in 2006 to 511 in 2007. And the number of Marines with felonies rose from 208 to 350." End quote.

So If I may ask, What can we expect?