University volunteer “Polaris Miyagi” inauguration ceremony, determined to prevent delinquency

The inauguration ceremony for Polaris Miyagi, a university student volunteer group working to prevent juvenile delinquency, was held on the 24th at the Miyagi Prefectural Police Headquarters. In front of the approximately 50 people in attendance, Makoto Sato, head of the prefectural police's community safety department, gave encouragement, saying, ``University students who are close to the boy's age can understand the boy's feelings and actions.I want them to actively promote the activities.''

Polaris Miyagi was established in 2004, when the number of juvenile arrests and guidance personnel was at a record high in the prefecture. Members are appointed for a fiscal year, and work to support juvenile learning and recovery, as well as to promote public relations and awareness of delinquency prevention. This year, 100 men and women from 11 universities in the prefecture registered.

Representative student Ruka Otaki (21), a fourth-year student at Tohoku University, pointed out, ``There is no end to the cases of juveniles getting involved in crimes through social media, and there is an increasing need to take their perspective and sympathize with their worries and anxieties.'' The group's name, ``Polaris,'' means the North Star, and he expressed his determination to ``face our activities with sincerity so that we can serve as a guidepost.''

According to the Prefectural Police Juvenile Division, as of the end of May, the number of juveniles arrested and supervised was 1,319, an increase of 34 from the same period last year. [Yuki Iwata]