Crime victim support volunteers

About University Student Volunteers Supporting Crime Victims

The Akita Prefectural Police is working to support victims throughout the region and promote the creation of a city that produces neither victims nor perpetrators.
The purpose of this project is to recruit volunteers from university students who will be the future leaders of society, and through participation in training and public relations and awareness-raising activities on crime victim support, to deepen their understanding of the actual situation of crime victims and the importance of support, thereby fostering an atmosphere of compassion and support for crime victims throughout the local community.

We are looking for college student volunteers to support crime victims in 2025

The Akita Prefectural Police is recruiting university student volunteers to support crime victims in 2025.
The application period is from April 1st to April 25th, 2025. For details, please see the application guidelines and flyer below.
Would you like to work with the Akita Prefectural Police to understand the feelings of crime victims, their families, and the surviving relatives, and to convey the importance of life?

Recruitment guidelines for university student volunteers supporting crime victims in 2020 [77KB]

Application form (PDF) [54KB] Application form (Word) [227KB]

Recruitment flyer (activity status, messages from alumni) [851KB]

---

---

〇 February 21, 2020 3rd training session

The third training session was attended by university student volunteers, the Akita Prefectural Government Citizens' Affairs Division, and the Akita Victim Support Center (public corporation). They reviewed the activities of university student volunteers this year, reported on the status of the "Panel Exhibition on the Lives of Crime Victims," and exchanged opinions on their volunteer activities and future plans.

The university student volunteers shared their thoughts, such as, "It was good that we were able to make amulets and participate in the prefectural residents' gathering after learning about the victims by watching the film and listening to the stories of the bereaved families," and "These volunteers often internalized what they learned. I think it would have been good to have more active activities." We would like to make use of everyone's thoughts and opinions in our future activities.

With the third training session, all university student volunteer activities for the 2024 academic year have come to an end. Thank you for participating in volunteer activities over the past year.

---

November 2, 2024 Crime Victims Week "Prefectural Citizens' Gathering"

November 25th to December 1st has been designated "Crime Victims Week," during which we are actively conducting public relations activities to support victims. Prior to the week, a "Prefectural Citizens' Gathering" was held on November 2nd at the Akita Arts Theatre Milhas, and was run by volunteer university students.
The event included readings of letters addressed to the lecturer by children and students who had participated in the "Learning Class on the Importance of Life" (lectures by families who have lost children to crime, held at elementary, junior high, and high schools, as well as special needs schools within the prefecture), lectures by families of crime victims, and a mini concert by the Akita Prefectural Police Band.

The university student volunteers prepared the venue, set up exhibits, and handled the reception desk for the Hondeling Project, as well as narrating the introductions of the lecturers for the "Children's Life Lessons" and reading letters aloud when the children and students read their letters.
In a lecture by Takenori Ichikawa, a family member of a crime victim, participants learned about the feelings of family members of victims and the importance of supporting victims in the community, deepening their understanding of victim support.

Thanks to the cooperation of the university student volunteers, we were able to convey the thoughts of the lecturers of the "Preciousness of Life Learning Class" and the thoughts of the children and students to the visitors. Thank you very much.

What is the "Hondeling Project"?

This involves collecting books, CDs, and other items that you no longer need after reading them, sending them to a recycling company, and donating the assessed value to a support organization.

---

〇 September 27, 2020 2nd training session

Together with the Akita Prefectural Government Citizens' Life Division and the Akita Victim Support Center (public corporation), we created "Goldfish Charms."
The "Goldfish Charms" were handmade by the family of a university student who lost their son in a traffic accident, in the hope of creating a "society without accidents and where life is valued." They have been made since 2016 together with university student volunteers who support crime victims.
First, we listened to messages from the bereaved families about their feelings after the disaster and why they started making the Goldfish Charms. Then, we made each one with a wish in mind, so that whoever picked them up would think about the importance of life.
The "Goldfish Charms" are distributed at events related to victim support, such as the "Prefectural Citizens' Gathering." We hope that you will accept the feelings of the bereaved families and university student volunteers.

---

September 19, 2024: Lecture to touch the hearts of crime victims

I attended a lecture held at the police academy for police officers and university student volunteers who support crime victims, and listened to a lecture by a family member who lost an elementary school-aged child in a traffic accident. The lecturer was the mother of Yuya Kumagai.

Comments from university student volunteers included, "It pains me to think that a tragic accident occurred on the road I used to walk on when I was in high school," "I realized that I had a poor understanding of traffic accidents. I will keep today's lecture in mind when I drive," and "I hope there will be more places other than the police that bereaved families can turn to, and I think it's important to not leave the bereaved behind and to respond in a way that suits them."

---

○ August 6, 2020 1st training session

At the Akita Victim Support Center (public corporation), the participants toured the center and received an explanation of the center's operations from the staff. After listening to a lecture from a member of the Crime Victim Support Office about crime victim support in the police, the participants watched the film "Wind from Zero" and exchanged opinions on their impressions of the film and how they would like to speak to victims.

University student volunteers shared their thoughts, such as, "When I drive a car, I want to be careful not to cause traffic accidents. I want to avoid becoming either the perpetrator or the victim," and "I think that the feelings of the victims and surviving families came together, leading to the revision of the law and the holding of the Message of Life exhibition."

About the movie "Wind from Zero"
This film is based on a true story about a mother whose son was taken away by a drunk driver, without a license and without insurance, who stood up to call for tougher criminal laws, leading to legal reform and the "Message of Life Exhibition."
The film was released in 2007, with Tanaka Yoshiko playing the mother and Sugiura Taiyo playing the son.

What is the "Message of Life" Exhibition?
This is an art exhibition that focuses on victims whose lives have been unjustly taken as a result of crime, accidents, medical malpractice, binge drinking, etc.
The life-size human panels (messengers) of the victims have their photographs and messages from their families pasted on their chests, and their shoes, a "proof of life," are placed at their feet, to emphasize the importance of life.

---

July 11, 2024: Training session for general response desk staff

We participated in a training session (hosted by Akita Prefecture) for city, town, and village and police station victim support desk personnel. We listened to an explanation of the work of the Akita Prefecture Citizens' Life Division on crime victim support, examples of support provided by city employees, and a lecture titled "Being close to crime victims" by a crime victim counselor from the Akita Victim Support Center (public corporation). The university student volunteers heard about the mindset and specific examples of language to use when interacting with crime victims, and deepened their understanding of supporting crime victims.

---

---

○ June 28, 2024: "Crime Victim Awareness Day" Awareness Campaign

In order to raise awareness of Crime Victim Awareness Day among the people of the prefecture, we participated in an awareness campaign held at Poporo Road, a free passageway connecting the east and west sides of Akita Station.
Together with staff from the Akita Prefectural Government's Citizen Life Division and the Akita Victim Support Center (public corporation), we distributed pamphlets and made an appeal for the ``Day to Think About Crime Victims.''

~About "Crime Victim Awareness Day"~
The Akita Prefecture Crime Victim Support Ordinance designates June 30th of each year as Crime Victim Awareness Day, and public relations and awareness-raising activities are carried out throughout the prefecture.

---

May 22, 2024: Commission (Registration) Ceremony

A joint ceremony was held to present the letters of appointment (registration) to three university student volunteers for the Akita Prefectural Police.
At the ceremony, each person's name was called out and the Director General handed a letter of appointment (registration) to each representative, saying, "I have high hopes that each and every one of you will actively participate in our activities with enthusiasm and compassion, and play a part in realizing a safe, secure, and bright Akita."
This year, five people attending universities in the prefecture have been registered as university student volunteers to support crime victims, and they will be conducting public relations and awareness-raising activities regarding crime victim support until March 2025.