Police admit backing illegal gambling<\/p>\n
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Admissions by active and retired police officers on the
\ninvolvement of police personnel in providing protection for
\ngambling have further tarnished the already poor image of the
\npolice.<\/p>\n
For the police, receiving hot money is commonplace, it would
\nappear.<\/p>\n
Lasiman, not his real name, a provost officer at Jakarta
\nPolice Headquarters, admitted that gambling was the most
\nappealing and lucrative illegal business as regards lining police
\nofficers' pockets.<\/p>\n
\"Police protection for gambling dens and receiving money from
\noperators is already an open secret. I admit that I often receive
\nmoney from several operators in North Jakarta,\" said Lasiman, who
\nis an investigator in the city provost division.<\/p>\n
The allure of hot money was also confirmed by his colleague
\nDorris, who revealed that he often received money not only from
\nthe operators but also from police colleagues in the detectives
\ndivision to ensure protection for the rackets.<\/p>\n
\"Gambling dens are cash cows for us. If we need money, we can
\njust visit a certain den to get some cash. The operators,
\nincluding the police officers protecting them, usually start
\nshaking when they see a provost officer,\" said Dorris laughing.<\/p>\n
Lasiman and Dorris usually receive some Rp 100,000 (US$10) per
\nvisit. But they said they only asked for money once in a while as
\nthe illicit gambling centers were already protected by their
\ncolleagues from other police divisions.<\/p>\n
\"When you become a police officer, you must forget all ideas
\nabout being idealistic. Believe me, there is just no place for
\nsuch people here. You must come to an understanding with your
\ncolleagues,\" said Lasiman.<\/p>\n
After all, he argued, gambling was not as destructive as, for
\nexample, narcotics.<\/p>\n
According to both officers, they would usually release a
\npolice officer who was caught backing up a gambling business.
\nHowever, if he was caught red handed gambling, then he might be
\npunished.<\/p>\n
The involvement of delinquent police officers in providing
\nprotection for gambling operations was confirmed by a former
\nchief of the National Police from 1978 to 1982, Awaloedin Djamin.<\/p>\n
Awaloedin is the dean at the Police Higher Education College
\n(PTIK) and a senior lecturer in the postgraduate police studies
\ndepartment at the University of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
He said that gambling was prevalent not just in Jakarta but
\nthroughout Indonesia, and was backed up by police and military
\nofficers.<\/p>\n
\"I will not deny the police's involvement since the supply and
\ndemand theory comes into play here. The operator demands
\nprotection from the police,\" said Awaloedin, who refused to
\nestimate the percentage of police officers involved in the
\nbusiness.<\/p>\n
Awaloedin added that the security budget was the most
\nexpensive outlay on the part of a gambling racketeer. He claimed
\nthat a gambling operator might have to pay Rp 800 million out of
\nRp 1 billion in gross profits just for protection.<\/p>\n
\"A police officer is just a human being, not a saint.
\nMoreover, their salary is very low compared to all the alluring
\nworldly temptations they have to encounter.<\/p>\n
\"The solution is not to blame the police but rather the state,
\nwhich has failed to legalize gambling,\" said Awaloedin.<\/p>\n
Awaloedin appealed to the government to transparently manage
\nand control the gambling business as it was impossible to
\neradicate it.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-admit-backing-illegal-gambling-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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