Japan police are using Street Fighter to recruit cops

Japanese police are using Street Fighter to recruit cops.

Characters from Capcom's famous fighting game franchise will be used for the first time as mascots in the Osaka Prefectural Police's recruitment advertising for cyber-crime investigators.

It turns out Capcom has been working with Osaka Prefectural Police and other nearby police forces on various crime prevention awareness campaigns since 2013. But this year, Capcom received a request from the Osaka Prefectural Police to use Street Fighter characters for the first time.

3000 flyers will be distributed, and 1000 posters placed at Osaka Prefectural Police stations and police boxes, as well as at train stations, from today, 2nd July.

Capcom said: "Selected for the brand's powerful image, its popularity among a broad range of age groups, and the affinity that esports has with cyberspace, the characters will be featured in investigator recruiting advertisements with the aim of boosting awareness of and the number of investigators specialising in cyber-crime - a field that has seen a conspicuous rise in the number of incidents in recent years."

Unfortunately, Capcom did not opt to use Peter from Street Fighter 5 on its recruitment poster. The actual police officer, who likes his three sons and beach volley, and dislikes scoundrels and liars, turned up in the game's story mode as a weak opponent for Cammy. In fact he is the weakest opponent in the story mode, and his only battle is with Cammy. Poor Peter deserves another chance to shine!