The National Public Safety Commission and the National Police Agency, as a national police organization, are in charge of what may be efficiently conducted in an integrated manner by the central government, such as ensuring the national security and handling wide range of cases, education of police personnel, communications and statistics of the police. In order to carry out such duties, the National Public Safety Commission manages the work of the National Police Agency on matters related to planning, drafting and compiling of the budget of the police system, cases related to the national safety, and coordination of police administration.

Public safety commissions are established inside the central government as well as inside prefectural governments. Both commissions are public representative bodies and respectively manage the work of the National Police Agency and the prefectural police department. The National Public Safety Commission maintains close communication with them in an attempt to foster communication between the central and local governments and to facilitate police work. In the event of emergency, such a large scale of earthquake disaster or foreign invasion, the Prime Minister may issue an emergency proclamation, which is based on recommendations of the National Public Safety Commission.