CPO's operate 24 hours a day on the basis of a shift or residential system. They perform their police duties while keeping in constant contact with the public. The police box and the residential police box constitute the most fundamental activity units of CPO's. Japan has about 6,000 police boxes and 9,000 residential police boxes throughout the country. Police boxes are mainly set up in urban areas, while residential police boxes are primarily set up in nonurban districts. About 3,000 patrol car units are available in metropolitan and prefectural police headquarters and police stations. A communication command center interfaces with CPO's in patrol cars, police boxes, and residential police boxes. Supplements to police and residential police boxes include guard police boxes, checkpoints, mobile police boxes, and tentative police boxes. Procedures followed by CPO's in fulfilling their duties in the community are described, along with activities of the communication command center, police patrols, and emergency police deployments.