Governors request command over provincial police<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso hinted on Friday that all
\nIndonesia's 26 governors recently issued a joint recommendation
\nto central government that provincial police be put under their
\nsupervision.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso said the recommendation was made after they found it
\ndifficult to coordinate with the police to maintain public order
\nin their respective provinces.<\/p>\n
\"Apparently, other governors also find the same problem as I
\ndo in coordinating with City Police to uphold public order here,\"
\nhe told reporters at City Hall.<\/p>\n
\"That's why we, the governors, issued a recommendation to put
\nthe provincial police under our supervision,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The proposal to put the provincial police under the governors'
\ndirect supervision was one of 23 recommendations issued during a
\nmeeting of governors earlier this week here.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Thursday, Sutiyoso criticized the police for its
\nreluctance to back up city public order officials in their
\noperations.<\/p>\n
\"Since the police have vowed to back up our public order
\noperations, they should keep the promise. Moreover, it's part of
\ntheir duty ... Well, it's easier said than done,\" he told
\nreporters on the sidelines of a City Council plenary meeting
\nwhich evaluated his annual accountability speech.<\/p>\n
All five mayors in Jakarta complained to the governor that the
\npolice had failed to provide satisfactory backup on grounds that
\ncity administration had yet to provide funding for the police
\npersonnel.<\/p>\n
At a meeting of city authorities at City Hall on July 7, City
\nPolice chief Insp. Gen. Nurfaizi aired his commitment to back up
\ncity public order operations. However, he then retracted this
\ncommitment.<\/p>\n
\"We don't put high priority on public order operations as the
\ncity administration has its own public order officials,\" Nurfaizi
\ntold reporters.<\/p>\n
In return, Sutiyoso rejected on Thursday a request by City
\nPolice that the city administration provide a security fund of Rp
\n26 billion (US$2.7 million) for the upcoming General Session of
\nthe People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) next month.<\/p>\n
\"The general session is a national event so it's inappropriate
\nto ask the city administration to provide the security fund to
\nsafeguard the session,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"It's impossible to provide such a large fund although the
\nsession is to be held here. I don't even know where I can get the
\nmoney from,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The governor, however, said that the request could be granted
\nif the police were under the governor's supervision.<\/p>\n
\"We can arrange the funding in our annual City Budget if the
\npolice are under the governor,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"In their current position, City Police should ask for the
\nmoney from the National Police headquarters, not the city
\nadministration,\" added Sutiyoso.<\/p>\n
He, however, said that the city administration always gave a
\ncertain contribution to the City Police and City Military Command
\nduring important events.<\/p>\n
\"We gave Rp 2.5 billion each to both security agencies during
\nthe June 1999 general election,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"We will also contribute some funds to safeguard the upcoming
\ngeneral session,\" Sutiyoso added, while saying that the amount
\nwas still being calculated.<\/p>\n
Interviewed separately, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen.
\nDadang Garnida said on Thursday people should not focus their
\nattention only on the amount of money.<\/p>\n
\"Do not just consider the amount, but also think of what the
\nmoney is going to be spent on,\" Dadang told reporters on the
\nsidelines of an exhibition on police technology at the Jakarta
\nConvention Center in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He insisted that such a big amount of money was reasonable for
\nsuch an important occasion like the general session. (08\/nvn)<\/p>",
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