SOFA-related crime reports relatively low on Okinawa

[unhappycamper]

SOFA-related crime reports relatively low on Okinawa
By David Allen, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Sunday, August 17, 2008

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — The incidence of crimes allegedly committed by Americans on Okinawa under the status of forces agreement for the first half of the year was a mixed bag, Okinawa police say.

While the number of felony and major misdemeanor crime allegations decreased, the number of SOFA personnel arrested dramatically increased. According to Okinawa Prefectural Police statistics, 36 SOFA personnel were arrested during the first six months of this year.

That’s 11 more than the same period last year, an increase of 44 percent.

However, the number of crimes attributed to Americans connected with the military dropped by two, from 46 charges in the first half of 2007 to 44 so far this year, a decrease of 4.5 percent.

"That’s because more individuals have been involved in single cases," an Okinawa police spokesman said. For example, four teenagers and a 21-year-old Air Force military policeman were charged with robbing two cab drivers in March.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=56800

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Something has to change on Okinawa.

In the past, the American forces there had a reasonably good relationship with the people and government of Okinawa. The Okinawans are a wonderful people with a rich cultural history that must be maintained and protected. As an student of the Okinawan martial traditions, my heart aches at the rift that has grown between the populace of Okinawa and the forces there, as the release of the Okinawan martial traditions to the US and the world was a direct result of the good and respectful relationship with the populace that arose after WWII, between the populace and the military.

In a perfect world, we would not have bases there, and we would give back the huge amount of island territory we now hold. That fact is a point of friction in all this, too. That said, some of our troops are acting as if they are Tartar invaders and street gangs.

The people of Okinawa deserve far better from us. Far, far better.