Vendors called up for civil defense task force<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Due to limited personnel, the Central Jakarta
\nMayoralty has recruited vendors from Tanah Abang market and
\nneighborhood residents to help regulate traffic and keep peace
\nand order in the business vicinity.<\/p>\n
A task force, called the Civil Defense District Unit (Matrik),
\nhas been established and began carrying out its duties last week.<\/p>\n
\"The task force has been on duty for a week and we (the
\nCentral Jakarta mayoralty) will conduct a monthly evaluation to
\nmonitor its progress,\" a spokesman for the Central Jakarta
\nmayoralty office, M. Yanis, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
He said the main duties of the task force, operating under the
\nCentral Jakarta mayoralty's supervision, were to handle traffic
\njams, watch out for street hoodlums and gambling, and prevent
\nprostitutes from working in the business vicinity.<\/p>\n
The task force is mostly deployed in the area around Jl. Kebon
\nJati, where the Tanah Abang market is located. The area is
\nrenowned not only for its traffic jams, but also for its
\nmultiethnic street hoodlums.<\/p>\n
Currently, 100 vendors and residents are registered as task
\nforce members. There are three shifts of eight hours duration.
\nMost of the members spend their time patrolling the streets.<\/p>\n
Yanis said Matrik was established following complaints from
\nresidents in the neighborhood of persistent problems such as
\ntraffic jams, undisciplined street vendors and the presence of
\nhoodlums.<\/p>\n
He said the idea to set up the non-official security unit came
\nfrom Central Jakarta mayor Andi Subur Abdullah.<\/p>\n
Yanis said the city administration did not pay for the
\nservice.<\/p>\n
\"They (the task force members) are subsidized by fees
\ncollected monthly from vendors and shop owners operating in the
\nneighborhood,\" he said. He suggested that each task force member
\nshould receive no less than Rp 7,500 (about US$1) a day.<\/p>\n
He said local residents and vendors provided the task force
\nmembers with their uniforms.<\/p>\n
A similar task force was introduced in November 1997. The then
\n48-member civilian security unit, however, lasted only a couple
\nof weeks before it was dispersed for reasons of inefficiency.<\/p>\n
\"Not only were they smaller in number, but there were frequent
\nprotests against them on the part of residents for being absent
\nat night,\" the spokesman said. (03)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/vendors-called-up-for-civil-defense-task-force-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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