Takahiro Hata has been appointed as the new head of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police's Investigative Division 1, which is responsible for handling serious crimes. During a press conference held prior to his appointment, Hata stated that he is committed to solving crimes to bring closure to the victims and their families. With a career spanning decades at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police since 1986, Hata shared how his desire to become a police officer was inspired by watching crime dramas and influenced by the work ethic he witnessed during his early career.

Hata's professional background is diverse, including experiences in the Mobile Police Unit and an extensive association with the American football team, which he credits for instilling a sense of perseverance in him. His international experience includes working with JICA in Indonesia, where he contributed to spreading Japan’s community policing initiatives. Hata noted that his guiding principle remains the same: not to give up and to explore all possible forensic technologies and investigative methods to resolve cold cases effectively.

Furthermore, Hata emphasized the importance of collaborative investigations, especially concerning recent trends in organized crime such as the string of burglaries linked to a dark job scheme. He expressed his intent to leverage the collective strength of the police across different prefectures in response to similar incidents in the future, thereby improving public safety and crime resolution strategies across Japan.