The National Police Agency said Thursday it will introduce new pistol holsters in March designed to prevent officers from being disarmed in hostile situations following a series of such attempts.
The new holsters, made of leather and resin, have improved features protecting the pistol from being taken by force, but the NPA refrained from revealing specific design details for security reasons.
As a first step, a total of 6,000 new holsters will be distributed by the end of March to prefectural police departments across the country, including in Tokyo, Osaka and Toyama.
Additionally, 30,000 holsters are planned to be made available in the next fiscal year starting in April, with the NPA earmarking ¥495 million for purchases and distribution in its fiscal 2019 budget.
Along with the introduction of the new holster, the NPA will revise the uniform code for officers as well as rules concerning their use of guns, they said.
In June, a former member of the Self-Defense Forces fatally stabbed a senior officer at a police box in Toyama, stole his handgun and shot and killed a security guard at a nearby school.
Last week, a university student armed with a knife and hammer injured an officer at a police station in Toyama. The student, who was arrested on the spot, told investigators he tried to steal a gun so he could use it to take his own life.