8 Decades of Bhayangkara: A Cultural Reform Emergency Amidst Efforts to Ground Service

“This Republic of Indonesia does not belong to any particular group, any particular religion, any particular ethnicity, any particular customary group, but belongs to all of us from Sabang to Merauke!” – Ir Soekarno. The quote from the Father of the Nation, Bung Karno, above is the spirit that should flow in every heartbeat of the Indonesian National Police (Polri). If this country belongs to everyone, then Polri, as a state law enforcement tool, is the protector of everyone, regardless of social status or high office. On 1 July 2026, the Bhayangkara Corps will turn 80 years old. Eight decades is not a short time. It is an age laden with wisdom, experience, and should be, institutional maturity. Carrying the theme “80 Years of Service, Polri for the Community”, this year’s Bhayangkara Day commemoration must not merely be a ceremonial event of cutting tumpeng and parades of discipline. The age of 80 demands a radical contemplation: Has Polri truly been present to protect the community, or has it instead transformed into an ivory tower distanced from the cries of justice seekers? From revolution to reform. The history of Polri is the history of the republic. Born from the womb of the revolution on 1 July 1946, Polri was initially formed through Government Decree of 1946 No. 11/S.D. At that time, the police were not just law enforcers, but also fighters who took up arms to defend independence.