With the rise of sophisticated scams and anonymous crime groups, crimes in Japan are becoming increasingly complex 〞 but interest in joining the police force is in decline.

In a bid to reverse the trend, the National Police Agency is looking to change its image by easing some of its tough rules at police academies.

The number of applicants for the police officer recruitment exam has declined significantly over the past decade. In fiscal 2024, the academy had around 43,000 applicants, less than half the estimated 93,000 applicants it had in fiscal 2015.

Additionally, the share of successful applicants who ultimately decide to take a different career path has risen by nearly 40% over the past 10 years. In fiscal 2024, around 38% turned down their offers, while it was 27.5% in fiscal 2015.

The NPA is eager to see new faces. With personnel in their 40s 〞 a group that will retire in the coming decades 〞 making up the biggest portion of the current police force, the NPA announced an emergency plan earlier this month to make the job more appealing to younger generations.

The changes are expected to be rolled out at academies in the near future.

Part of the plan includes revising the rules at police academies, which have been identified as being overly strict. According to an NPA survey conducted among officers under the age of 30, around 40% said that they thought the ※police academy was too tough.§

Among those who changed careers to join the police force, around 70% described the police academy as a psychological obstacle to becoming an officer.?

In response, the NPA decided to loosen some rules at the academy, such as allowing more freedom to use smartphones. Currently, students are only allowed to use their phones on the weekends and after school hours.

The academy will also allow more freedom of mobility, letting recruits go on outings and overnight stays outside of the school dormitories. Under current rules, such activities require a permission slip and approval from the school.?

The NPA is also looking to loosen hairstyle rules at the academy. Although they differ from school to school, regulations typically say that male students must have short hair while female students must have their hair tied up.

To encourage already-working individuals interested in police work to apply, the NPA is considering implementing a fast-track option to allow those who have relevant experience to skip ranks.?

Currently, every new recruit must start at the lowest rank of ※officer,§ but under this system, newcomers could be considered for ranks above senior police officers.?

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