Police innovation paradigm in the United States and Japan

This article examines whether policing innovation occurs in the same way in two countries: the United States and Japan. By developing a 'police innovation paradigm' which distinguishes processes of generation, promotion, and obstruction of police innovation, the article describes the roles of academic communities, federal/central governments, local/prefectural governments, and police chiefs in both countries. A key implication of the findings is that while the American paradigm has apparent strengths in generation and promotion of innovative ideas, precise implementation of those ideas seems to be more successful in Japan. In conclusion, lessons for Japanese police are identified.