Analysts urge police to improve their image

By Ahmad Junaidi

JAKARTA (JP): Many people think the police force could improve its image if it is separated from the Armed Forces, as many analysts have urged.

But the Jakartans interviewed by The Jakarta Post recently said it would be a long and difficult task for the police to wipe out its bad public image.

Some were even concerned that more police autonomy would make the force uncontrollable.

The following are their experiences and views:

Tarjo, a gado-gado (traditional salad) seller on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta, admitted that he had made life easier on himself by bribing corrupt police officers when they had caught him violating a law.

He said police arrested him and four friends last year for their involvement in a brawl at a discotheque in the Menteng area, Central Jakarta. He and his friends seriously injured several people in the fight.

"I could have spent days in police detention if the police officers refused my bribe."

He said the police released them after taking a Rp 500,000 (US$35.70) bribe.

"The police could have beat me and sent my case to court if I hadn't given them money."

The police force already has a bad image and this will be difficult to erase, he said.

"But sometimes I take advantage of the situation," he laughed.

He said many people also believed the police could not handle serious problems, which they saw as a reason why soldiers were deployed on the city's streets.

People feel more secure, especially now, if they see soldiers ready to protect them from riots, he said.

He saw this as a reason why the police force should not be separated from the Armed Forces.

"I'm afraid that bad cops would become even more unruly if they became separated from the Armed Forces."

Gunawan (not his real name), whose two video compact disc (VCD) outlets in Glodok, West Jakarta, were looted and burned in the May riots, did not think it wise for the police to be separated from the Armed Forces.

He feared such a move could make the police more powerful and give them more opportunities to abuse their power.

He said he had been arrested 12 times for allegedly distributing illegal VCDs, but that he had been released after giving police officers money.

"It's all about money. The police take advantage of unclear regulations."

He claimed there was no regulation on the distribution of VCDs, which made him a "cash cow" for police officers to milk.

"I hope the government will issue a regulation soon so that traders, the police and other parties could follow it."

He hoped the police would be more professional in upholding the law if given autonomy.

"I wish the police would care more about the people and obey the law, things not easy to do for them."

Siahaan, a public transportation minivan driver plying the Kampung Melayu-Senen route, said he did not care whether the police were part of the Armed Forces or not.

"I learned about the idea from television reports. The police must improve themselves whether they are being separated or not."

He said that unlike the old days, the police now rarely launched operations against public transportation drivers so they could take bribes.

"This is probably one of the impacts of the reform era."

Nana, a housewife in East Jakarta, said it was necessary for the police to improve their public image and that even children learned at an early age to fear them.

She said that when their children cry, many housewives often try to make them stop by saying: "A police officer will come here. Be quiet."

"Maybe it's because police have guns and can arrest people. It creates a scary image."

She said the police public relations campaign aimed at children, Polisi Sahabat Anak (Police are Children's Friends), had not changed the police's image in children's eyes.

She was indifferent about the idea to separate the police force from the Armed Forces.

"But if the police are separated from the Armed Forces, I hope they will make efforts to improve their image through real action."

Nico, a private university student, said the police force should be a separate entity from the Armed Forces.

"The police are civilians who are equipped with weapons."

He claimed that the Constitution stipulated that the police should be a separate entity from the Armed Forces.

"So far, we have violated the Constitution."

He and his friends are often arrested by police for conducting demonstrations without a permit, he said.

"The way the police interrogate us is unprofessional and intimidating. They violate the Criminal Code Procedure often."

Separating the police from the Armed Forces could motivate police officers to improve their professionalism, he said.

"It could also prevent military intervention in police affairs. Many people see the military often intervene in police affairs."