Changes in the force

Changes in the force

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has finally made up his
mind to promote his long-time friend and a police officer with a
good track record, Comr. Gen. Sutanto, as the new National Police
(Polri) chief. The appointment comes five months after current
chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar failed to meet the 100-day deadline
Susilo gave him in October to arrest alleged Malaysian terrorists
Azahari and Nurdin M. Top.

Da'i who was appointed not long after President Megawati
Soekarnoputri came to power in July 2001, was widely expected to
retire after Susilo replaced Megawati in October last year. And
since then, Sutanto, who served as one of Soeharto's four
adjutants from 1995 until the president's fall in 1998, has often
been mentioned as one of the favorite candidates for the
position.

Any change at the top of Polri always attracts public
attention because of the police's important public service role;
their mandate to maintain public order and domestic security.

At least that is the theory. People are also likely to take an
interest because of the police's very shortcomings in this role;
their frequent inability to realize their motto "To serve and to
protect" the people, which has made them probably one of the most
disliked state institutions in the country. The police have long
had a poor public image here and unfortunately this has failed to
improve since they were separated from the Indonesian Military in
1999 to become a civilian organization.

As illustrated by a World Bank opinion survey, people's
perception of the quality of police services has remained
unchanged since 1999. As nearly all of the current police
personnel from all levels of the force were educated in a
military fashion, it seems that more time is needed to change
their military mentalities.

Then there are the jokes; that police have been known to
declare a victim of a burglary or theft as a suspect in the same
case. Or that people whose motorbikes are stolen might end up
losing their cars as well after reporting the theft -- so high
are the bribes officers require just to make a search. And, as
any driver knows, the prices for licenses are always higher than
the official rate, although in public police ask people to pay
only the standard fee.

However, like them or not, we have to live with the police.
And as Indonesia advances in its journey toward a civil society,
a reliable, clean police force becomes key to maintaining a
sustainable, democratic society. We should certainly not let
police weaknesses become an excuse for the military to regain the
role in domestic security and public order it had during the
Soeharto era.

As horrible as the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack and the
2002 Bali bombing were, they were a blessing in disguise for the
National Police. After Bali, many Western countries and
international organizations rushed to assist them with
sophisticated counter-terrorism equipment, along with financial
assistance and educational expertise. This wealth of help has
often irritated the TNI, which is still facing a military embargo
from the United States.

The contributions and cooperation have paid off. The police
won international praise for their success in bringing to court
the perpetrators for Bali and the JW Marriott Hotel attack in
2003. Last year's attack on the Australian Embassy in Jakarta
could also be uncovered in a relatively short time.

But the threat of terror here remains, and two key suspects,
Azahari and Nurdin, are still at large. There are cynics who
believe the police's inability to arrest the Malaysians has
nothing to do with Azahari and Nurdin's supposed genius at
evading capture, or the police's lack of professionalism by first
world standards.

Meanwhile, horizontal conflicts continue in Maluku and Poso,
Central Sulawesi, while rebellions flare up with depressing
regularity in the military-controlled areas of Papua and Aceh
where police are unable to quell the violence.

Despite his shortcomings and those of the force he commands,
Da'i has made some significant achievements. His public relations
skill has helped him face up to public criticism. And compared to
his two immediate predecessors, he is far less controversial.

So far Sutanto has had an impressive track record, especially
during his terms as North Sumatra and East Java police chief. He
keeps a low profile, and some people who have known him since he
was a military colonel testify that his commitment to serve the
nation as a police officer remains strong.

Sutanto, who is required by the law to retire at 58 in 2008,
fully realizes the heavy burden he will have to bear and the high
public expectations on him. With full trust from the President,
he will be expected to enable the police to provide a much better
service to the public.

The House of Representatives (DPR) is expected to approve
Sutanto's nomination shortly and people should start expecting to
see changes in the police soon.