The chief of Kanagawa Prefectural Police, Takeshi Imamura, held a press conference on the 20th to apologize for improper traffic violation enforcement carried out by the Second Traffic Mobile Police Squadron. Imamura acknowledged that the handling of the incidents has caused significant inconvenience for affected individuals and gravely damaged the trust of the citizens. He emphasized that, as the head of the police department, he bears deep responsibility for the situation and stressed the need for corrective measures to regain public confidence.

In elaborating on the issues that led to the misconduct, Imamura pointed out that police officers misunderstood the purpose of traffic violation enforcement, and there was inadequate supervision from senior officers, influencing those supposed to provide guidance. Additionally, some officers felt unable to report concerns about the practices to their superiors, creating an environment that failed to encourage accountability and transparency. As part of preventive measures, he announced the establishment of a 'Patrol Supervisory Team' that will ensure proper enforcement practices going forward.

Regarding the issue of financial restitution beyond the refunding of fines, Imamura indicated that the police would assess individual cases to determine appropriate compensation after hearing from affected parties. The Kanagawa Prefectural Police has previously faced criticism, such as in connection with a stalking murder case in Kawasaki last year, where over 40 officers were disciplined for inappropriate conduct. Imamura expressed a strong commitment to restoring public trust and implementing reforms to prevent similar issues in the future.