At a recent conference in which reporters were made to understand that security gaps were exploited by the suspected killer of Shinzo Abe, former Prime Minister of Japan, the head of Japan’s National Police Agency, Itara Nakamura announced his resignation from the service. The agency he used to head, controls the police in Japan.
To underscore the fact that it was a prime moment for reset, Nakamura stated among other things: “As we scrutinized and reflected on the incident, we decided to start over and overhaul our security system… To mark our fresh start with a new security plan, it’s only natural for us to build a new organization.”
The incident which Nakamura said was ‘scrutinized’ was the murder of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe while he was at a campaign rally in the city of Nara on July 8. After scrutinizing the incident, Nakamura and his team presumably made some reflections that led to the decision to resign and make way for a fresh start for the police in Japan.
It is the view of some security experts who reviewed the matter that the security provided for Prime Minister Abe on July 8 was insufficient. By extension, it is assumed that those who will take over from Nakamura have their job cut out for them as per giving priority attention to matters of sufficient security.
The subject of what constitutes sufficient security will now engage the attention of the police more than ever before, as it will engage the attention of those who have become a little more interested in matters of security in a world currently grappling with the insecurity of all shades and forms. Of course, it will engage the attention of police agencies in other climes.
One of the things Nakamura’s resignation has done is send out new energies of assurances to those who may have begun to feel a little threatened by the feeling of uncertainty following news of the murder of Prime Minister Abe. The feeling that another broom will be taking over soon is the source of the new assurance. This new broom does not require any education as to why he is being given the job. He knows that expectations are high and he will be expected to lead his team to work in such a way to return the level of confidence in the police to the levels before the sad incident.
Another key message from Nakamura’s resignation is the fact that police agencies in other developed climes may want to immediately undertake a review of their situations to plug whatever gaps may be found if any so that they do not find themselves in the Japanese situation. For if it could happen in one of the most developed societies in the world and involve the death of the longest serving prime minister and a famous politician, then every other agency should be careful.
Nakamura acknowledged nature in his speech thus: “To mark our fresh start with a new plan, it is only natural for us to build a new organization.” Nature abhors a vacuum. That is, nature fills or occupies every available space with whatever nature finds. While mapping security plans over the different spaces in society, the challenge is to fill every space with the appropriate tool, and or personnel to help forestall any attempt by those with wrong motives. This, more than any other is a reason to appreciate the moment as a top reset one for those directly concerned and the rest of the world.
