Bad police, bad community

Bad police, bad community

A bad police force reflects a bad community, and vice versa.
This truism is relevant to the current situation in Indonesia,
where the existence of a good police force and community still
remains a dream.

A good police force implies a force capable of maintaining
security for the public, of upholding the law and protecting and
serving the public in a professional manner.

Since their separation from the Armed Forces (ABRI) in 1999,
the Indonesian Police have been striving hard to define their new
identity and culture. They have also promised to provide the
public with better services and greater protection.

However, the police have found it difficult to turn their
promise into reality, due mainly to mentality and habit. Despite
serious attempts, it is not easy for the police to abandon the
old militaristic culture that has been established over decades.

One notable attempt that the police force has made to replace
their old militaristic culture has been to change the curriculum
of their school for senior noncommissioned officers and at their
academy. Human rights, social ethics and other subjects related
to social issues have since been taught to students.

The result? Frankly, we cannot expect too much from the new
curriculum because the instructors are mostly seniors who have
inherited a militaristic culture and habits from their seniors.
Thus, at least for the next decade, public hope for a more
professional police officer corps, free of militaristic traits
and imbued with a high awareness of human rights and ethics, will
probably remain far from reality.

Even as it was trying to change, achievement and discredit in
turn spiced the police force's record. No one can deny the police
achievement in arresting the perpetrators of the Bali bombings
and other bomb attacks in various parts of the country. The quick
arrest of the man who allegedly shot prosecutor Ferry Silalahi in
Central Sulawesi is another success story.

On the other hand, to cite just one example, the police have
had to accept jeers and strong criticism from the public for
their sluggishness in handling the BNI Bank scam involving Rp 1.7
trillion in state funds. Rampant street bribery conducted by
unscrupulous traffic police officers still remains another
blemish on the face of the organization.

A popular old saying goes that every police officer has one
foot pointing toward the grave and another toward jail -- meaning
that whenever police officers are slow in making decisions, they
or somebody else could get killed, but quick decisions that are
wrong could lead them to jail.

In any case, since their separation from ABRI, the police have
become the main guardians of public security. The "grave or jail"
option has become a reality for police officers sent to conflict
areas such as Aceh, Maluku, Poso, Papua and other hot spots. Many
have been killed and some have also been tried for excessive use
of force and other unnecessary action.

And now another tough test is coming: Our police officers will
have to exert greater vigilance in securing the country when the
first presidential election takes place on Monday.

Heated political tension among supporters of the presidential
aspirants could lead to chaos and the police must be able to
anticipate such a situation. Providing on-duty officers with
proper instructions on how to behave is imperative.

In such a situation, police officers must be agile enough to
act swiftly or they will be trapped in a "grave or jail"
situation.

Keeping their patience is also part of the professionalism of
police officers. In such a context the quality of police officers
is more relevant than the quantity fielded to face a mob.

To have a few qualified and highly dedicated professional
officers on the spot is preferable to having many who might
bungle the job. A streamlined, but solid organization is the
hallmark of good management. This adage must become the motto of
our police force, which must be able to compensate for the
current imbalance between the small number of police officers
available and the growing population.

What Indonesia really needs is skilled and tough, but
compassionate police officers capable of setting a good example
for the community. Better training and better pay must therefore
be provided for our police officers, given that these are
important factors in establishing a professional police officer
corps.

In the meantime, with their 58th anniversary on July 1 just
behind, it would be well for the police to evaluate what they
have so far done toward realizing their promise of serving and
protecting the public.