The Hiroshima Prefectural Police are getting public blowback over last week's theft of at least ¥85 million from its main police station.
Many think the crime was an inside job.
The theft took place at Hiroshima Police Station, which is manned by about 350 officers and situated right next to the prefectural headquarters in the center of the city.
According to investigators, a drawer in a desk in the accounting division where the safe key was kept was found damaged at around 8 p.m. on May 8. Though the key was left in the drawer, ¥85.7 million in cash that was being kept as evidence for a fraud case was found missing from the safe.
Police are interviewing the officers, but because only a few knew of the location of the key and the money, they are having difficulty identifying the suspects.
In the meantime, calls of protest from the public continue to flood the switchboard.
"The image of the police is deteriorating," one officer said.
The police station has jurisdiction over several key facilities in Hiroshima, including Peace Memorial Park, the Atomic Bomb Dome and government buildings.