Police in hot water over intensifying street crime<\/p>\n
T. Sima Gunawan, Staff Writer, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta,
\nsima@thejakartapost.com<\/p>\n
With a smile on his face, a police officer kicked a shirtless
\nboy who had a swollen lip and a cut near his eye. Another
\ngrinning officer held the boy's arms.<\/p>\n
The boy, who was reported to be 19 years old (though he looked
\nmuch younger), was arrested for allegedly robbing passengers
\naboard a bus on Jl. Thamrin in Central Jakarta on Thursday. A
\nsickle was seized from the suspect.<\/p>\n
As if it were not bad enough that the prolonged economic
\ncrisis has led to rising crime rates, now the suspected criminals
\ninclude fresh-faced teenagers.<\/p>\n
The officers arresting the boy may have been smiling out of
\npride at having nabbed a dangerous criminal who was endangering
\nthe lives of bus passengers. But most people would rather see the
\npolice beat crime rather than criminals.<\/p>\n
People have long since lost confidence in the police, who have
\nfailed to live up to public expectations as crime fighters.<\/p>\n
Of course it would be difficult to fight crime if rumors of
\npolice officers and military soldiers actually backing criminal
\nenterprises are true. In the case of the attack on the office of
\nthe Tempo news magazine on March 8, police did nothing to stop a
\nmob from intimidating journalists, and stood idly by as editors
\nand reporters were struck by leaders of the mob.<\/p>\n
However, critics must admit that the police have made some
\nefforts to combat crime. The Jakarta Police recently added to its
\nfleet of patrol cars and equipped the vehicles with Global
\nPositioning System. This is good, except the capital's notorious
\ntraffic jams might have made motorcycles a more effective option.<\/p>\n
Last July, Jakarta Police Radio was established at 91.1 FM
\nand the 112 emergency number was introduced. However, 112 is not
\nyet up to the standards of 911 in the United States, with most
\npeople here unaware of the emergency number's existence and its
\neffectiveness still not known.<\/p>\n
There are undoubtedly police officers out there who are good
\nand clean. But many people continue to see the police as corrupt,
\nwith officers extorting people and taking bribes.<\/p>\n
\"If I am driving and I see a policeman around, instead of
\nfeeling safe I feel afraid,\" a friend said. He has every reason
\nto feel so given reports about traffic officers stopping
\nmotorists for questionable offenses and offering to settle the
\nmatter \"peacefully\" -- give the officer some money and the case
\nis closed.<\/p>\n
Money matters. Another friend said that last year he filed a
\npolice report after his car had been stolen. When a few days
\nlater he asked about the investigation into the matter, an
\nofficer told him that in many cases cars stolen in Jakarta turned
\nup in West Java. The officer added, however, that they did not
\nhave the money to continue the investigation. My friend, fully
\naware of the low salaries received by the police, got the message
\nand handed over some money.<\/p>\n
He never got his car back.<\/p>\n
The oft-cited joke here is that if you lose your chicken and
\nreport it to the police you will also lose your goat. And if the
\ncase goes to court you will lose your cow as well.<\/p>\n
In 1999 the police were separated from the military, with the
\nhope that the change would make the force more professional. The
\npolice vowed to repair their tarnished image, not only by wearing
\nnew uniforms but also by improving their performance in order to
\nregain public trust and confidence.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, things not only have not gotten better, they
\nhave become worse.<\/p>\n
A number of high-ranking police officers, including a former
\nJakarta Police chief, were found allegedly to be involved in the
\nsmuggling of luxury cars. The case hit the headlines when it
\nbroke and police vowed a thorough investigation, and now a year-
\nand-a-half later the matter seems to have disappeared and the
\nstatus of the investigation is unknown.<\/p>\n
There have been reports in recent years of police offices
\nbeing attacked by mobs unsatisfied with the police's handling of
\na case. And there also have been numerous incidents of suspected
\ncriminals being lynched, a phenomenon experts have partly blamed
\non the breakdown of trust in the police.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, about 100 bus drivers attacked the Paliaman Police
\nstation in Cirebon, West Java, after they heard a fellow bus
\ndriver had been shot and killed by a police officer. The officer
\nin question allegedly shot the 29-year-old driver for hitting a
\npatrol car. It was reported that the officer became angry and
\ndischarged his weapon when the driver refused to pull over.<\/p>\n
The officer was suspended shortly after the incident, but the
\nWest Java Police later declared him innocent and ruled that the
\nshooting was \"in accordance with procedures\".<\/p>\n
The police motto is \"to protect and to serve\". If the police
\nreally want to regain the trust and confidence of the public,
\nthey should truly protect and serve the people rather than their
\nfellow officers.<\/p>",
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