Police guarantee security during General Session<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): City police chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata
\nguaranteed yesterday that the 1,000 members of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) could rest assured that officers
\nwould maintain security and order.<\/p>\n
He said no less than 700 police officers would guard the MPR
\nbuilding, where the General Session would be held.<\/p>\n
\"The security condition in and around the city is excellent.
\nEverything is under control. There is nothing to worry about,\" he
\nsaid after inaugurating yesterday afternoon a new police station
\nnear the roundabout across from Hotel Indonesia on Jl. Thamrin in
\nCentral Jakarta.<\/p>\n
At least 16,500 fully armed police officers, backed up by
\nthousands of personnel from the Army, Navy and Air Force, have
\nbeen primed to secure the city during the sessions, which start
\ntomorrow and continue until March 11.<\/p>\n
There are at least 4,000 additional police officers ready to
\nback up the operation, according to Jakarta Police data.<\/p>\n
Some 2,300 officers are now on standby at National Police
\nHeadquarters and ready to be deployed to any area in the country
\nif there is any possibility of riots.<\/p>\n
At least 600 Mobile Brigade (Brimob) personnel are staying in
\ntents and living quarters at Jakarta Police Headquarters and they
\nhave been active in dealing with a series of bomb hoaxes and
\ndemonstrations around the city over the last two weeks.<\/p>\n
Another 2,300 Brimob members from provinces in Sumatra, Bali
\nand Java also arrived here two weeks ago to provide additional
\nsupport. They have already been deployed to each of the nine
\npolice precincts throughout Greater Jakarta, with each precinct
\nreceiving between 100 and 300 back-up personnel.<\/p>\n
Hamami reiterated that police officers were committed to
\nproviding the best security services to ensure the success of the
\nsessions.<\/p>\n
\"We will secure not only the Assembly building and the hotels
\nwhere the MPR members are staying during the sessions, but also
\nthe members themselves from their arrival at Soekarno-Hatta
\nInternational Airport until their departure.\"<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said at least
\n300 officers have been deployed to secure the airport and the
\ntransportation of MPR members from there to the hotels.<\/p>\n
\"When all the members have arrived at their hotels, these 300
\nofficers will be utilized to support security in the city during
\nthe sessions,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The 1,000 MPR members will stay in four hotels: the Sari Pan
\nPacific, Hotel President and Hotel Indonesia on Jl. Thamrin and
\nthe Sahid Jaya Hotel on Jl. Sudirman.<\/p>\n
The 16 MPR members of the Indonesian Democratic Party and 113
\nrepresentatives of the Armed Forces are being accommodated at
\nSari Pan Pacific.<\/p>\n
The 97 members of Golkar's regional representatives are
\nstaying at Hotel President and some 489 people, including all the
\nministers and members of Golkar, are at Hotel Indonesia. The 134
\nrepresentatives of the United Development Party and 149 members
\nof the regional representatives faction are staying at Hotel
\nSahid Jaya.<\/p>\n
Aritonang said about 150 police officers were stationed at
\neach of the four hotels.<\/p>\n
\"The officers will be fully responsible for the security in
\nand around each hotel. Each block of rooms in the hotel will even
\nbe under their control.\"<\/p>\n
He said that in order to give the best and most thorough
\nsecurity services for the MPR members, the officers responsible
\nfor security at a hotel were expected to be able to recognize the
\nmembers who stayed there.<\/p>\n
Aritonang said there were other officers responsible for
\nescorting members to and from hotels and the Assembly building.<\/p>\n
\"All vehicles to be used by members will be checked. We'll use
\nsome equipment, including metal detectors.\"<\/p>\n
He said police officers would organize a new traffic route in
\nareas around the Assembly building to enable the members to
\narrive there on time.<\/p>\n
\"It doesn't mean that we'll close Jl. Thamrin or streets
\naround the Assembly building. But sometime we'll probably have to
\nhold vehicles from one direction for a couple of minutes to give
\nway for the members' vehicles to go first.\"<\/p>\n
Aritonang refuted an allegation that police had been
\nreportedly exercising their power to such an extent that they
\nseemed to be preparing for a war instead of a General Session.<\/p>\n
\"That's not true. I think what we have done here is natural. I
\nmean, this is a big and special event for the nation which needs
\nto be secured. I think the security provided for the last
\nsessions, five years ago, was more or less the same as now,\" he
\nsaid. (cst)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-guarantee-security-during-general-session-1447893297",
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