17,000 civilian guards assigned to help police

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso has assigned 17,000 members of the Civilian Defense Unit (Hansip) to help city police maintain security ahead of the general election scheduled for June.

Sutiyoso said on Friday that the limited number of police officers in the city made it necessary to draft in civilian assistance given the possibility of outbreaks of social unrest.

"Involving Hansip in the city security is a necessary step. They are close to the people and should therefore detect any signs of unrest which develop at grassroots level," Sutiyoso said during a ceremony to mark the beginning of the civilian guards' working relationship with the city police. The ceremony was held at the National Monument Park in Central Jakarta.

He said he regretted that the Civilian Defense Unit was not on hand when Jakarta was hit by social unrest on several occasions last year.

"They could have backed up the security forces. That's why we have to be more alert this time," he said.

The governor said he expected the police would find themselves burdened as the result of widespread social problems in the city.

He said there was a possibility of further social unrest in the city given the present condition of the economy and the widespread hardship faced by the poor.

"But even though the current socio-political conditions are not favorable, the (central) government has decided to press ahead with its plan to hold an election and then convene a general session of the People's Consultative Assembly," he said.

City administration data shows that the civilian defense unit has 17,957 active members.

Those assigned to help the police will be grouped into units according to their skills and expertise.

City police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman told reporters after the ceremony that the civilian guards would receive special training before being deployed on the streets alongside the police.

He revealed that the city police force is currently 19,000- strong, adding that this number was far from ideal.

On Friday, Sutiyoso also instructed 1,500 employees of the city's sanitation, fire, public works and land transportation agencies to be prepared to help the security forces. (ind)