'Many places in city no longer safe'<\/p>\n
Street crimes, including extortion aboard public buses are on the
\nrise. They are among a total of 4,320 cases of street crimes
\nreported to the city police to date this year. The Jakarta Post
\ntalked to several city residents about the issue.<\/p>\n
Mina, not his real name, 28, is unemployed. He resides in West
\nJakarta:<\/p>\n
The alarming rise in street crimes is a threat to all city
\nresidents. Many places in the city are no longer safe.<\/p>\n
I remember some time back when I went to Kampung Melayu in
\nEast Jakarta, three thugs boarded the public minivan I was
\nriding.<\/p>\n
There were an elderly man and woman in the minivan besides me
\nat the time. The three crooks started to threaten us with a
\nknife. Two of them forced the elderly passengers, who were
\nclearly terrified, to hand over their money. They gave the crooks
\nRp 50,000 each.<\/p>\n
I was scared too at the time but could do nothing as one of
\nthem was blocking the exit. I told them that I was just a
\nuniversity student who had nothing valuable.<\/p>\n
To avoid conflict, I gave them only Rp 2,000. The driver was
\npowerless to do anything, and stopped the van when they asked.<\/p>\n
The crooks took off through a small lane on Jl. Dewi Sartika
\nin East Jakarta. I got off the van a minute later.<\/p>\n
In view of my experience, I urge the city police to be more
\nresponsive and to be vigilant in places that are prone to street
\ncrime. Otherwise these criminals will be free to exhort money on
\npublic transportation vehicles and city residents will never feel
\nsecure.<\/p>\n
Yanti, 20, is a sidewalk vendor who sells newspapers and
\nmagazines in Pasar Rumput, South Jakarta. She resides in Pulo
\nGadung, East Jakarta, with her relatives:<\/p>\n
I think it's true that street crime is rising in some areas in
\nthe city. I see that there are now many crooks hanging around bus
\nshelters here. Economic hardship might have forced them to make
\nthat choice, I guess.<\/p>\n
I imagine dozens of them operate on the streets after office
\nhours. In heavy traffic they would extort money from drivers.<\/p>\n
They openly force their victims to give them Rp 1,000 to Rp
\n2,000. If they are rejected, they would behave rudely by banging
\non the car windows or even threatening the people inside.<\/p>\n
But, I try to ignore them as long as they don't try to bother
\nme or my possessions.<\/p>\n
However, now I feel a bit relieved to note that they are not
\naround so much any more. Perhaps, this is due to the regular
\npatrol of police officers around here. Some of them have even
\nbeen arrested.<\/p>\n
I agree with the anticipatory actions of police in this
\nrespect. The rise in the number of street criminals is a threat
\nto city residents in general.<\/p>\n
Sometimes I worry that they will threaten me too. Thank God, I
\nhave been selling magazines here for almost two years and they
\nhave never harassed me despite the fact that I'm just a woman.<\/p>\n
Salju, 24, is sidewalk vendor on Jl. Jatinegara, East Jakarta,
\nwho sells glasses. He lives in Kayu Manis, East Jakarta with his
\nwife and their only daughter:<\/p>\n
I think that street crimes are on the rise. But, luckily not
\nmany street criminals dare to operate here.<\/p>\n
Perhaps they are afraid of being caught and mobbed. Besides,
\nwe are located near the East Jakarta Police Precinct, so
\ncriminals would think twice about operating here.<\/p>\n
But what is most distressing is the increasing number of
\nhoodlums who extort money from us. As a vendor, personally, I
\ndon't feel safe at all working here because the thugs are rough.<\/p>\n
If we dared to refuse to pay them, they would trouble us. We
\nhave no other option but to give them Rp 1,000 every day rather
\nthan coming into conflict with them.<\/p>\n
In addition, I have to pay around Rp 3,000 every month to
\nthugs as protection money. Annually we also pay Rp 300,000 to
\nthem, which they say is shared with the police.<\/p>\n
I wonder why the police are not ashamed about soliciting money
\nfrom people of low income like most of the vendors here.<\/p>\n
-- Leo Wahyudi S<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/many-places-in-city-no-longer-safe-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }