Officials opt to keep curfew on Okinawa

[unhappycamper]

Officials opt to keep curfew on Okinawa
By Chiyomi Sumida, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Saturday, June 14, 2007

NAHA, Okinawa — U.S. military and Japanese officials said the midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew for active-duty servicemembers on Okinawa will remain in effect, at least for the time being.

About 30 board members of the Cooperative Working Team — made up of Okinawa and Tokyo officials, local business owners, police and U.S. military and State Department officials — met Wednesday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Okinawa Liaison Office in Naha to assess crime prevention programs that are under way following a series of high-profile crimes involving servicemembers on Okinawa and mainland Japan.

As part of the effort to reduce crimes by servicemembers, particularly sex offenses, U.S. military officials on Okinawa have set up a sexual-assault response coordinator position and have held sexual-assault workshops. The military also has vowed to continue to work closely with owners of local entertainment businesses to reduce off-base incidents by servicemembers.

In an effort to ease the Cinderella Liberty policy, the Okinawa City Entertainment Association formed a network of bar owners who allow U.S. military courtesy patrols into their establishments. Participating bars and clubs post signs saying they will not provide alcohol to minors or intoxicated patrons and welcome the patrols.

U.S. Army Col. Mark R. Franklin, chief of the Okinawa Area Field Office of U.S. Forces Japan and co-chairman of the working team, said he welcomed the efforts made by the businesses.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=55506