FUKUSHIMA--Instead of fighting the war on crime, Fukushima prefectural police want potential recruits to know they could be braving a more sinister and invisible danger.
FUKUSHIMA--Instead of fighting the war on crime, Fukushima prefectural police want potential recruits to know they could be braving a more sinister and invisible danger.
The police are recruiting new members with a poster that shows a police officer wearing a protective radiation suit searching through debris near the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
“In times like these, we want people who are mentally tough to apply for our new positions,” said an officer in charge of recruitment.
The photo was taken by a prefectural police employee in May 2011 in Namie near the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant. Exhaust stacks of the plant can be seen in the background.
“We want applicants to know that they cannot avoid working near the nuclear power plant as long as they serve as officers of the Fukushima prefectural police,” said Yasushi Itagaki, 47, a senior member of the prefectural police.
In 2011, Fukushima police did not recruit new members as usual during its traditonal recruiting season because of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.
Some people fear that the poster will discourage potential recruits from applying this year.
In previous years, the number of applicants had been about 10 times more than the quota of about 50 new hires. This year, however, the corresponding current figure is less than twice the number of new officer positions.
“I think that people who applied after seeing this poster will become tough police officers,” Itagaki said.
Applications are being accepted until April 13.