Police said Friday they will enhance security in central Japan areas hit by a strong earthquake earlier this month, where thefts and other crimes have been increasing, by installing around 1,000 security cameras at locations including evacuation centers.
The police had confirmed a total of 32 criminal cases in Ishikawa Prefecture as of Wednesday evening, including burglaries at evacuated homes and thefts in evacuation centers.
They have already increased the number of security cameras in the cities of Wajima and Suzu, severely damaged by the New Year's Day quake.
"We will strive to ensure the safety and security of the disaster-hit areas," Yoshifumi Matsumura, chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, told a press conference.
The National Police Agency as well as Ishikawa and other prefectural police forces will contribute about 600 cameras, while the agency plans to procure the remaining 400 using 135 million yen ($915,000) from reserve funds in its fiscal 2023 budget.
In Ishikawa, a total of 41,834 houses were damaged in the earthquake, while the number of evacuees has topped 14,000, according to a prefectural tally released Thursday.
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