Let police do the job<\/p>\n
It might have been pure coincidence, but ahead of the first
\nanniversary of our President's term, the police finally started
\nto arrest civilians walking about with firearms and other
\nweapons. Now that would be baffling to some -- of course anyone
\nwould be arrested when gallivanting about town carrying sharp
\nweapons or guns without a license? So what?<\/p>\n
But in Indonesia this has infamously not been the case, not
\nonly in the previously violent, lawless conflict areas but also
\nin relatively peaceful areas like Jakarta.<\/p>\n
So when reports came in this week of police arresting members
\nof the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) for carrying weapons in
\nJakarta, this was news indeed. In Surakarta, a police officer was
\nfired for failing to act against locals taking the law into their
\nown hands and smashing bottles of liquor, on the grounds that
\nthose selling it did not respect the spirit of Ramadhan.<\/p>\n
The reports brought good news because it was a clear message
\nthat the police were trying to do their job -- maintaining law
\nand order -- a job that the public should be able to take for
\ngranted.<\/p>\n
Such a message brings on a sense of security, a basic human
\nright which gives the city dweller the feeling that he need not
\nlook over his shoulder or worry about his car every time he
\nhappens to be in the way of a group of men deciding to become
\njudge and jury, who then act like brawling students or hoodlums
\nand let bottles and stones fly, regardless of any noble intention
\nthey might have.<\/p>\n
The police need to know that they have the public's support,
\nthough maybe not expressed often enough, for them to take on
\ntheir role fully as the security keepers in line with their
\nformal separation from the military.<\/p>\n
This means they need to show and reassert the firm message
\nthat the job of maintaining law and order is theirs, the job
\nmandated by the state, not just any macho-looking group in
\nmilitary-style fatigues or self appointed moral police.<\/p>\n
It was dismaying in the earlier months to see that police
\nvirtually turned a blind eye to gangs behaving violently, either
\nthose involved in the forced closure of entertainment sites or of
\n\"illegal\" houses of worship.<\/p>\n
The police were similarly powerless in the past during
\ncampaigns of political parties, when every contesting party had
\ntheir private security forces, inevitably leading to violence
\nwhen emotions got heated among rival supporters. Now in the post
\nNew Order era, people have every right to demand more of their
\nlaw enforcers.<\/p>\n
Some have argued that violence is a last resort, an expression
\nof despair of powerless groups when they've tried for years to
\nhave the police act on what is seen as disruptive, offensive or
\ndecadent behavior. Take, for instance groups of women
\nrepresenting communities, who set fire to centers of
\nprostitution, which they see as a business destructive to the
\nfamily, but seemingly well protected.<\/p>\n
But violence has never solved problems; the faithful will
\nsooner or later find a way to congregate again, be they
\nChristians or the Ahmadiyah group, those in need of work will
\nalways seek jobs in those entertainment sites, and there will
\nalways be men who seek the services of sex workers.<\/p>\n
We've heard the excuse that it will take a long time to have a
\nprofessional police force. But the National Police Headquarters
\ncould learn from Central Java's provincial police chief Insp.
\nGen. Chaerul Rasjid, following the raid on restaurants.<\/p>\n
\"Stunned by the vandalism during the holy month, Gen. Chaerul
\nreportedly briefed all local police chiefs in the province on
\nWednesday and told them that the incident in Surakarta had to be
\nthe last,\" this paper reported on Thursday. \"If a police officer
\nfails to follow orders, I'm telling you that he or she has to be
\nreplaced,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Citizens should no longer have to put up with things like
\ncivilian groups with apparent impunity to do whatever they see
\nfit, just because they may have the support or backing of a
\nindividuals or privileged groups.<\/p>\n
They should be able to expect that in daily life one can go
\nabout one's business safely. An entirely valid request,
\nespecially from a populace that is increasingly encouraged to pay
\ntaxes as their civic obligation.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/let-police-do-the-job-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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