"'Abe Security Failure' Japanese Police Consider Using Drones for VIP Protection"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] On the 8th, NHK reported that the Japanese National Police Agency is considering using drones and bulletproof glass when protecting key figures at outdoor events with large crowds, such as election campaigns. This is seen as a measure to supplement the protection methods for key figures following criticism over the failure to protect former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during the shooting incident last month.

According to NHK's investigation, the Japanese National Police Agency has been reviewing this plan and expects that using drones will make it easier to identify suspicious behavior from the air. However, since there are concerns about the risk of drones falling, safety is being thoroughly checked.

The Police Agency is also considering installing bulletproof glass around the protected individual, taking into account that former Prime Minister Abe was shot at close range. Although several countries overseas, including the United States, use bulletproof glass for protection, the weight of the glass itself can reduce mobility on site, so they are seeking solutions to this issue.

The reason the Police Agency is exploring these measures is that on the 8th of last month, ahead of the House of Councillors election, former Prime Minister Abe was shot and killed while giving a support speech for a Liberal Democratic Party candidate in Nara City, Nara Prefecture, which led to criticism of the police headquarters' inadequate protection system.

The Police Agency is currently reviewing the protection actions taken on the day of the incident, and this review is expected to be completed within this month. NHK reported that the Police Agency views the main issues as the Nara Prefectural Police's complacent repetition of past precedents without sufficient review during protection, and the failure to share changes when the police officers assigned to the site before Abe's speech were replaced, which created gaps in rear protection.