1000 motorbike patrolmen to guard Jakartans daily
1000 motorbike patrolmen to guard Jakartans daily
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Hendro-
priyono said yesterday that another 1,000 motorbike patrolmen
would be deployed in the near future to join the ongoing
Operation Cleansing.
"The officers will be provided with pagers so that they will
be in instant contact with the public in case there is any
crime," Hendro said during the plenary congress of the Jakarta
chapter of the Golkar ruling party at the Horison Hotel, Ancol
district, North Jakarta.
The two-star army general is popularly known as Hendro.
Hendro urged the public to call the police quickly, hopefully
before the crime occurs, so that the Operation Cleansing
personnel could quickly take preventive measures.
"Don't wait until a crime happens. Please call in a report as
soon as possible, anytime you see something suspicious," said
Hendro.
The Jakarta military command, which is sponsoring the anti-
crime operation, can be reached on Starpage pagers as follows:
19201 for Central Jakarta, 19202 for North Jakarta, 19203 for
West Jakarta, 19204 for South Jakarta 19205 for East Jakarta,
19206 for Tangerang 19207 for Bekasi.
The Starpage numbers are 3144000, 3101188, 3902222 and 331100.
In the past, however, the public, especially in West and
Central Jakarta, has shown less response to this program than
expected.
"It might be because they are unaware of the pager numbers, or
are indifferent towards the fate of their neighborhood," said
Hendro.
The low public-response to this report-by-pager scheme, he
said, might indicate that there is a deep gap between the
government and the public. He said that this gap is leading to
the decrease in the latter's willingness to participate in the
government-sponsored programs.
"To rectify the situation... we need a set of measures to help
bridge this gap, like enhancing democratization and continuing
the deregulation and de-bureaucratization drives which we started
in 1983. This way, I believe, the public will not be reluctant to
express themselves," said Hendro.
He added that Operation Cleansing, which initially focused on
criminals, drunkards, drug sellers, and vendors who sold liquor
illegally, is now also setting its sights on gamblers and
youngsters who drive recklessly and at unsafe speeds at night.
Racers
"Now, there are youngsters who race on the streets at night,
jeopardizing their own safety, and the safety of other motorists
and pedestrians. They have become our new targets," said Hendro.
Hendro said the operation did not include these night-racers
in its initial focus because the operation personnel thought the
youngsters, who were mostly teenagers, had long forsaken this
type of crime after several crackdowns prior to the operation.
"As it turned out, many have resumed their daredevil acts
despite the current Operation Cleansing," said Hendro.
The locations where the young night racers regularly race each
other, either on motorbikes or in cars, include Jl. Casablanca,
Jl. Kemayoran, Jl. Jendral Sudirman and Jl. Arteri.
Some have even dared to race past police stations.
Spokesman for the Jakarta Military Command Lt. Col. Didi
Supandi said the youngsters would be given some "lessons" before
they could claim their vehicles which were seized by the
patrolmen.
Statistics issued by the Jakarta Military Command reveals that
between April 11 and May 25, Operation Cleansing captured 1,500
people, of whom 416 were drunkards and 1,034 of whom were
muggers, robbers, pickpockets, people who illegally carried
firearms and sharp weapons, and those involved in the criminal
sale of banned drugs and liquor.
The officers in charge also confiscated 602,630 bottles of
liquor, 480 sharp weapons, 14 firearms, 3,772,624 dangerous
pills, and 37 envelopes of cannabis. (jsk)