Balikpapan Mayor Highlights Night-Time Street Robbery Cases

Balikpapan Mayor Rahmad Mas’ud has highlighted a wave of night-time street robberies (begal) in Balikpapan City, East Kalimantan. He urged residents to heighten vigilance and reduce activities during the late-night hours to avoid crime, including begal, on Monday May 18. The city government has coordinated with the police to increase surveillance and patrols, especially at locations deemed vulnerable to crime. He said: ‘Don’t interpret it as if there are many begals. There have been several incidents and we have been in contact with the Balikpapan Police to raise vigilance.’

According to Rahmad, such street crimes typically occur in quiet areas, even where roads and lighting are adequate. One location under scrutiny is Jalan Mukmin Faisal near Sepinggan, Balikpapan Selatan. ‘The road is good and well lit, but people must stay vigilant because crime can happen due to circumstances and opportunity. Criminal acts occur because of opportunity. Therefore, we ask residents not to travel alone at night, especially during vulnerable hours, and most importantly not to go out in the middle of the night.’

In addition to increasing patrols, the Balikpapan City Government plans to install CCTV on several road segments this year to aid security oversight. ‘Hopefully this year several CCTV cameras will be installed across Balikpapan’s streets. Their function is to help detect if something happens. But I assure that security conditions in Balikpapan are generally under control, and we ask residents to remain calm and vigilant when outside their homes,’ he concluded.