'People should dare to question officers'<\/p>\n
Undisciplined police officers and the public's poor legal
\nawareness have, to a certain extent, encouraged the emergence of
\nthieves disguised as police officers. Should the city police
\nneglect to take serious measures, such fraudulent officers will
\nfurther threaten public security. The Jakarta Post asked the
\npublic for their views on this issue.<\/p>\n
Haji Ashari, 45, is a chicken soup vendor in Palmerah, West
\nJakarta. He lives near his kiosk with his wife and four children:<\/p>\n
In my opinion, the best way to anticipate bogus police
\nofficers is never to allow them to solve the problems in an
\n\"amicable\" way.<\/p>\n
Even if we are obviously wrong for violating traffic
\nregulations, for instance, don't let the police solve the case on
\nthe spot. Instead, ask them to do so through legal means at the
\nnearby police precinct or at the city police headquarters,
\ndespite the fact that we would have to pay a larger fine than if
\nwe had just paid off the officer.<\/p>\n
This way, we will find out whether the police officers are
\nreal or just frauds, as the bogus ones would disagree to the
\nlegal procedures. If they then fail to identify themselves, we
\ncould call the real police for help. But if they try to commit
\ncrimes like robbing or attacking us, we could shout for help to
\ncatch them.<\/p>\n
Actually, the fraudulent practices of the undisciplined police
\nand military officers have partly inspired the frauds to follow
\nsuit. In particular, the 'amicable settlement' between traffic
\nviolators and real officers gave the thieves the idea to pass
\nthemselves off as police officers, to play more mischievous
\ntricks on ignorant civilians.<\/p>\n
Worse still, the public, including me, are not willing to
\nundergo the legal processes, which are often long and complicated
\nand prone to bribery. People can't be bothered to follow such a
\ncomplicated bureaucracy, and tend to bribe the police for an
\nimmediate solution.<\/p>\n
Andi, 28, is an employee at a multinational company in Central
\nJakarta. He lives in Pondok Gede, Bekasi, with his wife and son:<\/p>\n
Frankly speaking, I have been fined several times for passing
\na red light, even though I knew I hadn't. And, worse still, I
\nusually take the 'amicable' solution to escape any legal
\nprocedures by bribing the police officers.<\/p>\n
I think that the police actually suggested the legal
\nprocedures for the violation. However, I wanted the short-cut
\nsettlement, as it is very quick and much cheaper than taking the
\ncase to the police station. Frankly, it was I who asked for that
\nillegal way, not the police.<\/p>\n
However, the police frequently do not respond immediately to
\nthe public's reports on street crimes. Once, my friend reported
\nto the police that he had been robbed, but they did not help him
\nbecause my friend didn't give them any money.<\/p>\n
Of course, this lowers the image of the police in general. It
\nwill be worse because of these bogus officers.<\/p>\n
In a way, the police's bad image and easily purchased police
\nand military uniforms have encouraged the emergence of
\nfrauds. The police's image won't improve unless they take serious
\nmeasures against these bogus ones. If necessary, they (the
\nfrauds) should be shot dead.<\/p>\n
Now, I would think twice if I was stopped by police officers
\nfor unclear reasons. It's time for civilians to dare to ask the
\npolice for their ID cards and other official documents in such a
\ncase.<\/p>\n
I think the caution and courage to question their identities
\nwill likely prevent the bogus officers from spreading all over
\nthe city.<\/p>\n
Martha, 24, works at a private company in Kemang, South
\nJakarta. She resides in Pamulang, Tangerang, with her family:<\/p>\n
To some extent, I can understand that the economic hardships
\nhave motivated people to survive through many ways, including
\nposing as a police officer and robbing people. People can do just
\nabout anything in order to survive.<\/p>\n
So, the city police should take action and crack down on the
\nbogus officers. It is also necessary to check whether there is a
\nconspiracy between the real police officers and the phony ones.
\nIt is important to find out how they (the frauds) got their
\nfirearms.<\/p>\n
I regret to say that many people only obey the security forces
\nbecause they are intimidated by their uniforms and power, while
\nin actuality, they should be more critical in asking for police
\nIDs or other proofs of identity from the officers.<\/p>\n
If they become irritated, we can suspect they are frauds. And
\nif they confiscate our belongings for unclear reasons, we could
\ntake legal recourse.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, the police should take reports on street
\ncrimes more seriously. Don't ignore the reports, because they may
\nbe true. Otherwise, people won't believe in the police anymore.
\nAs a result, the fraudulent police will simply run amok.<\/p>\n
The people have lived in misery due to the economic hardship,
\nso don't let them suffer more due to the bogus officers' threats.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/people-should-dare-to-question-officers-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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