Okinawa Wants Data On Soldiers Living Off Base

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Forum Spin Doctor
Japan Times
February 17, 2008
NAHA, Okinawa Pref. (Kyodo)--The Okinawa Prefectural Government plans to conduct a survey on U.S. military personnel who live off base to determine how many there are and other details as resentment continues to simmer over a suspected case of rape involving a U.S. Marine, prefectural officials said Saturday.
Local concern is rising due to the perception that off-base personnel are not subject to the same restrictions on going out and other activities as soldiers who live on base are.
The U.S. military has taken measures to prevent incidents involving servicemen on base, such as imposing curfews.
The central government plans to ask the U.S. to tighten control over service personnel living off base.
Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima is looking at making the off-base survey a major topic for the prefectural government task force due to be set up early this week, the officials said.
U.S. military authorities have told the prefectural government that some 6,000 off-base housing units were registered for use by people related to the military as of last September, and that 5,000 have been contracted for use, they said.
Many U.S. bases have apartments for officers and rank-and-file service personnel, as well as restaurants, movie theaters and other leisure and sports facilities.
The U.S. military authorities have not publicized the conditions for allowing members to live off base, the officials said.
A source from the prefectural government said the conditions apparently concern rank and whether a family is involved.
Okinawa police on Monday arrested Staff Sgt. Tyrone Hadnott, 38, on suspicion of raping a 14-year-old junior high school girl. He lived outside Camp Courtney, where he was stationed.
 
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