Authorities catch beggars posing as street sweepers
Authorities catch beggars posing as street sweepers
JAKARTA (JP): The city sanitation agency has caught and
interrogated three people caught begging red-handed on the city
streets when wearing the orange uniforms of official street
sweepers, an official said on Monday.
City spokesman Muhayat told reporters the three people
admitted to have "borrowed" the uniforms from official street
sweepers celebrating the Idul Fitri holidays in their hometowns.
After being interrogated, the three were immediately released.
"But we have recorded all the information they gave us and the
identities of the those who lent them the uniforms," Muhayat
quoted the head of the city sanitation agency, Saksono Soehodo,
as saying.
The investigation on street sweepers who lend out their
uniforms was still underway, he said.
"So far, we haven't found any official street sweepers
involved directly in the action (of begging). We're still
investigating the case to find out how they could obtain the
uniforms," Muhayat said.
The spokesman, however, did not reveal the identities of the
three people.
Scores of people wearing the orange uniforms of the city
street sweepers were seen at several streets in the capital,
particularly in South Jakarta, such as the Senayan traffic circle
near Ratu Plaza, Jl. Sisingamangaraja, Jl. Pakubuwono, Jl.
Patiunus and Jl. Metro Pondok Indah, several days prior to and
during the recent Idul Fitri celebrations.
The people, mostly teenagers of both sexes, operated at
traffic lights. Carrying brooms and shovels, they acted as if
they were cleaning the streets while waiting for the red light.
Shortly after the lights turned red and the passing cars
stopped, they approached the vehicles and demanded the drivers or
passengers to hand over money.
Some of them even banged on car windows to alert the people
inside the vehicles. Usually they worked in groups of four or six
people, with two of them waiting by the side of the street.
On the evening of Dec. 31 at the Senayan traffic circle one of
the beggars ran away when asked by The Jakarta Post whether he
and his friends were real street sweepers or beggars camouflaged
in orange uniforms.
Few days later on Jl. Pakubuwono, the Post's photographer had
difficulty getting pictures as most of the beggars ran away after
becoming aware of the presence of a newsman.
The groups could no longer be seen on Monday.
"We're very upset with such occurrences as they will, of
course, tarnish the image of the administration," Muhayat said.
Muhayat, however, admitted the possibility that official
street sweepers had rented out their uniforms to get extra
income.
He said taking severe action against the workers was not easy
since the cleaning service business in the capital was not only
handled by employees of the sanitation agency.
"There are 20 private companies here which have become the
agency's partners in the business," Muhayat added.
Muhayat also disclosed the agency was finding it difficult to
handle the amount of trash and firecracker casings left after the
takbiran evening before Idul Fitri on Friday.
"The agency is finding it difficult to clean spent
firecrackers from the streets which are stuck to the roads due to
the rains," he said.
On Monday, several streets, such as those around the Monas
park and several spots along the city's main thoroughfares of Jl.
Thamrin and Jl. Sudirman, were still littered with firecracker
casings. (ind/bsr)