THE POLICE ARE THE BASIC LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ORDER MAINTENANCE INSTITUTION IN JAPAN. THE PRESENT POLICE SYSTEM IS AN AMALGAM OF THE CENTRALIZED AND AUTHORITARIAN POLICE STRUCTURE OF THE PREWAR ERA AND THE HIGHLY DECENTRALIZED LOCAL POLICE UNITS OF THE IMMEDIATE POSTWAR PERIOD. THE POLICE SYSTEM IS BASED ON PREFECTURAL POLICE UNITS, WHICH ARE AUTONOMOUS IN DAILY POLICE OPERATIONS WITHIN THE PREFECTURES, YET ARE LINKED INTO A NATIONAL SYSTEM THROUGH THE SUPERVISION OF THE NATIONAL POLICE AGENCY. THE NATIONAL POLICE AGENCY SUPERVISES POLICE EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS, PROCURES POLICE EQUIPMENT, COMPILES CRIMINAL STATISTICS, AND FURNISHES CRIMINAL IDENTIFICATION SERVICES ON A NATIONWIDE BASIS. PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSIONS SUPERVISE THE POLICE AT THE NATIONAL AND PREFECTURAL LEVELS THROUGH CONSULTATION WITH THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE NATIONAL POLICE AGENCY AND THE CHIEFS OF THE PREFECTURAL POLICE, WHO PERFORM THE ACTUAL CONTROL. THE JAPANESE POLICE ARE DIVIDED INTO VARIOUS SPECIALIZATIONS. THE PATROL POLICE, UNIFORMED OFFICERS WHO MAN THE POLICE BOXES AND PATROL CARS, ARE THE MAINSTAY OF THE SYSTEM. BRANCHES OF POLICE SPECIALIZATION, WHICH ARE THE SAME THROUGHOUT JAPAN, INCLUDE POLICE ADMINISTRATION, CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, TRAFFIC, CRIME PREVENTION, AND SECURITY. THOSE ACCEPTED INTO POLICE SERVICE MUST PASS A COMPETITIVE EXAM. THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS ABOUT FOUR APPLICANTS FOR EVERY RECRUIT POSITION. POLICE TRAINING NOT ONLY TENDS TO DEVELOP TECHNICAL EXPERTISE IN POLICE WORK, BUT SOCIALIZES RECRUITS INTO THE POLICE WAY OF LIFE. POLICE SCHOOLS AT THE PREFECTURAL AND REGIONAL LEVELS AND A NATIONAL POLICE COLLEGE FORM THE CORE OF THE TRAINING SYSTEM. WHILE THE POLICE HAVE A GENERALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY, THERE IS A DEGREE OF AMBIVALENCE IN COMMUNITY ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE BECAUSE OF CONFLICTING PERCEPTIONS. CITIZENS SEE THE POLICE SYSTEM AS A MIXTURE OF THE PREWAR AUTHORITARIAN SYSTEM WITH POLICE STANDING ON A LEVEL ABOVE THE PEOPLE, AND THE POSTWAR SMALL SCALE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM, WITH THE POLICE ON THE SAME LEVEL WITH THE PEOPLE. (RCB)