Burglaries, robberies, keep rising

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Residents are advised to remain on the alert and to take steps to protect their property and loved ones, as the crime figures continue to rise in Greater Jakarta.

According to data from the Jakarta Police from January to November of this year, crime increased almost across the board from 2003 to 2004 in Jakarta, Bekasi, Tangerang and Depok.

House robberies and street muggings increased by 38.4 percent from an average of 151 per month last year to 209 per month in 2004.

Burglaries, which stood at an average of 460 cases per month last year, rose 46 percent to 673 per month in 2004.

Grand theft auto soared 54 percent from an average of 482 cases a month in 2003 to 744 cases a month this year.

The head of operations at the Jakarta Police, Sr. Comr. Oegroseno, however, said the crime reports lacked the detail to allow the police to analyze the crime trends in Greater Jakarta.

"The records are not specific enough to allow for a clear analysis of crime trends in the metropolis," he said.

For example, he said the records only showed 2,302 robbery reports in Jakarta, Bekasi, Depok and Tangerang from January to November this year.

The records do not include the locations or times of the crimes, a profile of the victims and suspects, or the methods used in the crimes, he said.

Oegroseno also said robberies against returning migrant workers rose in 2004.

However, he could not provide exact figures because reports submitted to Jakarta Police Headquarters from subprecinct offices only said "robberies".

"I am only able to say that more migrant workers have been victimized because I myself scrutinized the crime reports at the subprecinct offices.

"If we had more specific reports we could take measures that would hit the bull's eye," he said.

Oegroseno also criticized street officers for failing to understand which areas were more prone to crime and adjusting their patrols accordingly.

"They should arrange their patrols according to the character of an area. Some reports show that sometimes the patrol cars are positioned far from the crime-prone areas at the times when most of the crimes occur," he said.

Oegroseno said such criticisms had been discussed during meetings of top officers in the Jakarta Police. "Let's see if we can make significant changes to how the police work."