Burglaries, robberies, keep rising

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."