Buildings must apply standard security

Buildings must apply standard security

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city administration has given building managements a Sept. 7
deadline to improve security in an effort to prevent further
terrorist attacks.

Governor Sutiyoso said on Friday if the building managements
failed to meet security standards set by the administration by
the deadline, the city would publicly announce that the buildings
were "not safe".

"I think one month is long enough for them to buy metal
detectors and other security equipment," the governor said after
officially closing the media center at the Sari Pan Pacific Hotel
in Central Jakarta.

The media center was opened on Aug. 10, following the bombing
at the JW Marriott Hotel in South Jakarta which killed 12 people
and wounded 150 others. The center was used by police and
officials to brief journalists about the investigation into the
bombing.

Sutiyoso warned building managements that if the
administration pronounced their buildings to be unsafe, it would
harm their credibility.

The governor ordered buildings to improve their security
standards several days after the Aug. 5 Marriott bombing, when he
and top security officials met with the managements of hotels,
restaurants, office buildings, shopping malls and other
commercial buildings.

Explaining the security standards being sought by the
administration, Sutiyoso said buildings should have adequate
security equipment, particularly metal detectors, as well as
trained personnel.

Adequate numbers of security officers are important because
vehicles approaching buildings should be physically observed, he
said.

He stressed the need for building managements to meet security
standards to provide a sense of secure to visitors.

Sutiyoso, a former Jakarta Military commander, also said he
would go forward with plans to deploy military personnel to
assist the police in providing security in the city.

He said the soldiers would be deployed at strategic spots like
government offices, shopping malls, private buildings and
commercial centers.

He said he had officially discussed the matter with both
police and military officers.

Asked about the number of soldiers to be deployed, he said
that would be discussed by the military and police.

Sutiyoso corrected a previous statement that soldiers would
only be attached to police units. "Apart from being attached to
police units, the soldiers might also establish security units to
guard certain areas."

He stressed the need for the military involvement in providing
security in Jakarta due to the limited number of police officers.

He did not say for how long the military personnel would be
deployed, indicating it depended on the security situation.

Critics have said deploying soldiers in the city would
frighten visitors away from public places.