'Police are involved in the scandal'<\/p>\n
The police have blamed easily obtained police and military
\nuniforms and badges and a lack of regulation governing the trade
\non the emergence of bogus police officers extorting people around
\nthe city. Some city residents said there were cause-and-effect
\nrelationships between the apparently phony officers and the
\nunregulated uniform sales. The Jakarta Post talked to them and
\nhere are their responses:<\/p>\n
Wijoseno, 29, is a resident of Kampung Ambon in East Jakarta.
\nHe lives there with his family:<\/p>\n
I have never experienced nor met bogus police officers. I
\ndon't know much about them, or even if they exist.<\/p>\n
I have a relative who works as a debt collector. He is well-
\nbuilt and always wears military-style garb including the standard
\ngreen T-shirt and boots. The way he behaves sometimes, people
\nthink he must be a police or military officer. Is he considered
\nas bogus?<\/p>\n
Well, if people think he is, I think we cannot just blame him
\nfor it. He performs that way because they are his only role
\nmodel, namely the real police or military officers. His attitudes
\nresemble those officers because of that.<\/p>\n
Besides, he is like any of us who can easily obtain police or
\nmilitary clothing and accessories in the market. There is no
\nregulation banning the sale of such things, despite the risks.<\/p>\n
Of course, the existing free market for the uniforms could
\nfurther serve to tarnish the image of the police, which has been
\ndeteriorating for a long time. Civilians can afford the
\nauthentic-quality uniforms if they negotiate well. I have even
\nbought a bag specifically produced for the military.<\/p>\n
Abas, not his real name, 33, is a police officer at the City
\nPolice Headquarters. He resides in Tebet, South Jakarta with his
\nwife and two children:<\/p>\n
I reckon that bogus police officers sometimes derived from a
\nterm so-called 'bodreks (bogus)' in which a real police officer
\naccompanied by some civilians who resort to illegal confiscation
\nor extortion. Usually, the civilians are the overacting ones who
\nused to work jointly with the police as informants.<\/p>\n
Perhaps there is a conspiracy between undisciplined and
\ndisloyal police officers and the bogus ones. When the fraudsters
\ntried to raid a gambling den, for instance, they could perform as
\nif doing it all legally. Realistically, only trained police
\nofficers know the exact confiscation procedures and techniques.
\nThe question is, who has taught those fraudsters or civilians the
\npolice procedures?<\/p>\n
Worse still, there are more and more police officers who have
\ndeserted or been dishonorably discharged, for undisciplined
\nbehavior or attitudes. The well-trained deserters have the
\npotential to resort to crime, but let's not forget, there are
\nmany many real police officers who also abuse the regulations.<\/p>\n
In many ways, I know that police officers behave just like
\nthugs who extort money from the civilians. We can see those who
\nalways stop and extort trucks drivers on the toll roads.<\/p>\n
It's very difficult to arrest the fraudsters as they usually
\noperate at different police precincts' and, in case, they were
\nunder arrest they would admit that they come from a certain
\npolice station which in fact is not true. For instance, they
\noperate in Bogor, West Java, but they name themselves on behalf
\nof the city police headquarters in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
I don't blame the vendors selling the military uniforms at the
\nordinary markets because they have been doing so for a long time.
\nHowever, it would be better for the vendors to be more selective
\nwith their buyers. They should be required to ask for military or
\npolice ID cards to differentiate the civilians and the officers
\nto prevent any irregularities.<\/p>\n
Actually, I wonder why such goods are freely sold on the
\nmarket anyway. Who has put them on the market? I think that's the
\nissue.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the commanders or high-ranking officers should think
\nover the matter. Otherwise, rampant abuse by bogus officers will
\ntaint the police's reputation in general.<\/p>\n
Popi, not her real name, 29, is a housewife residing in
\nCakung, East Jakarta with her family:<\/p>\n
I'm of the opinion that it would be better to ban the public
\nsales of police or military uniforms in an attempt to prevent the
\npresence of bogus police officers. The free market here has given
\nbad people an opportunity to resort to crime.<\/p>\n
I personally don't blame the vendors who sell those goods.
\nThey are ordinary vendors who earn money for their living just
\nlike other vendors.<\/p>\n
I guess the police should check their own supply department
\nwhich is the only one authorized to sell the stuff. Internally,
\nthe police must find the officers responsible for the leakage in
\nsuch a way that those goods are sold outside the police
\nauthority. It seems that high-ranking officers are involved in
\nthe scandal.<\/p>\n
I think there is a positive correlation between the existing
\nbogus police officers and the unregulated sale of police uniforms
\nin the market.<\/p>\n
But the internal verification would, at least, minimize the
\nworsening fraud that threatens the public security.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-are-involved-in-the-scandal-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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