MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Station military policemen are joining local Japanese police in a coordinated effort to offset common issues faced by both agencies.
Iwakuni City Chief of Police Hisao Nagamatsu visited the Station, July 13, to discuss the establishment of a Japanese/American Police Association.
Such an association would encourage closer coordination between Station and local officials, said Master Sgt. Eric Drummond, Station Provost Marshal's Office operations chief.
Nagamatsu was joined by the deputy chief of police, 10 section chiefs and an interpreter.
"The goal of our relationship is to ensure that, on a law enforcement level, we're truly acting and speaking on the same level," said Capt. Christopher Bushek, Station provost marshal.
Enforcing the law for a "community within a community" is an important task, he added.
"In the course of daily life, people work and play outside of the boundaries that have been created at the governmental level. So, in performing our law enforcement mission, it is essential that we perform our mission for the community as a whole," said Bushek.
The concept of an open relationship between the Japanese and Station police is not a new one, said Tadashi Murakami, Iwakuni Police Department liaison section chief.
"However, it is our first interaction with the operations chief," said Murakami.
The local law enforcement's visit included a tour of the Station's mobile command post.
"In addition to building relationships, it is always good to find out about new equipment that we may eventually have," Murakami noted.
According to Drummond, the concept of a Japanese/American Police Association has long been in the works.
"We've visited the police building in Iwakuni," said Master Sgt. Rodney Redmon, Station antiterrorism force protection chief. "There is a lot of coordination going on within different departments at a variety of levels."
Working with Japanese officials is important not only to the Provost Marshal's Office, but also to Station residents, said Bushek.
"Anything we do that strengthens our relationship with our host nation benefits us and the local community," said Bushek.