Member of Commission I of the House of Representatives, Syamsu Rizal,\nstated that the involvement of the Indonesian National Armed Forces in\nhandling street robberies is legitimate. According to him, the action is\na form of assistance to the police.<\/p>\n
He concurred with the statement by Army Chief of Staff General Maruli\nSimanjuntak, who said that street criminals are afraid of soldiers,\nhence the military\u2019s involvement in tackling such actions. \u201cIf street\nthugs are afraid of soldiers, it means the TNI indeed has authority,\u201d he\nsaid in a written statement quoted on Sunday, 14 June 2026.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, he noted that this does not mean the police are\npowerless in addressing the problem of street crime, which has recently\nbecome rampant. He assessed that handling street robbery cases cannot be\nsolely burdened on the police.<\/p>\n
The National Awakening Party politician said the problem of street\ncrime has become a shared responsibility of all stakeholders. \u201cIt is not\nonly the task of the police, but also the regional government,\nsub-district heads, village heads, the TNI, and other citizens,\u201d said\nRizal.<\/p>\n
Moreover, he noted that coordination between the police and the TNI\nin handling various security issues disturbing the public has been\nrunning well. \u201cThis cooperation and synergy must continue to be\nstrengthened to maintain public security and order,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
However, he stated that the aspects of law enforcement and criminal\nproceedings against street criminals remain the authority of the police.\n\u201cThe police have authority in the process of investigation, inquiry, and\nlaw enforcement against the perpetrators,\u201d said Rizal.<\/p>\n
Additionally, he assessed that handling the rise in street crime must\nbegin at the preventive stage. He said prevention efforts need to be\nprioritised through strengthening environmental supervision, patrols,\ncommunity guidance, and inter-agency coordination.<\/p>\n
Previously, Army Chief of Staff General Maruli Simanjuntak said\nstreet criminals are afraid of soldiers. Maruli said street thugs are\nreluctant to act when they see TNI personnel.<\/p>\n
He conveyed this in response to criticism regarding the TNI\u2019s\ninvolvement in handling street robberies. \u201cWho is dealing with street\nthugs? No one is dealing with street thugs. The thugs become afraid\nbecause there are soldiers, you see. Not meddling. There are soldiers at\nthat location. A thug sees soldiers, and he won\u2019t go through with it,\u201d\nsaid Maruli at the DPR complex, Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday, 10 June\n2026.<\/p>\n
The involvement of soldiers in hunting street criminals was first\nannounced on 22 May 2026 during a joint press conference with the Metro\nJaya Regional Police. The participation of the military institution was\ncarried out in line with the increasing trend of street crime.<\/p>\n
Head of the TNI Headquarters Information Centre, Brigadier General\nMuhammad Nas, asked the public not to immediately conclude that the\ninvolvement of soldiers in handling street robberies is part of\nmilitarism.<\/p>\n
Nas assessed that the current phenomenon of numerous street robberies\nhas caused public unrest, making it necessary to deploy military\npersonnel. He stated that the involvement of soldiers in hunting street\ncriminals like thugs is a form of TNI assistance to the police.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dpr-member-responds-to-tni-involvement-in-hunting-street-thugs-1781402332", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }