14,949 personnel to secure holiday season

JAKARTA (JP): The city has established a joint security team of 14,949 personnel assembled from the police, military, fire department, toll road operators, and Land Transportation Agency (DLLAJ), to secure the city during the Idul Fitri, Christmas and New Year holidays, an officer said on Thursday.

"We have to take more precautions this year because Christmas and Idul Fitri (Dec. 27 - 28) come almost at the same time," Jakarta Police spokesman Supt. Anton Bahrul Alam told reporters at his office.

The team comprises 11,324 police personnel and 2,175 military personnel with the remaining 1,450 members coming from the other agencies, Anton said.

The multi-agency team will ensure those who spend the holidays in the city that they can still get public service, he said.

Anton also said that most of the personnel would be assigned to patrol streets, buildings and residential complexes throughout the capital since many homes will be empty as people return to their hometowns for the holidays.

"We advise people to have at least one person guard their houses or ask their neighbors to look after them," Anton said, adding that burglaries usually increase during such holidays.

Separately, head of the Jakarta Police investigation unit for violent crimes, Sr. Supt. Tagam Sinaga, said that police arrested four robbers last week, who targeted houses and shops which were left unguarded by their owners.

One of the robbers, identified as Marullah, 29, was shot in the leg when he had tried to escape, Tagam said.

The officer said the robbers had broken into dozens of empty houses and shops in Greater Jakarta and transported the stolen goods using a rented minivan.

"These robbers made a lot of money from their crimes," Tagam said, adding that four more members of the group were still at large. (jaw)