Chief police Noegroho tells hoteliers to 'say no to crime'
JAKARTA (JP): City Police are determined to take firm action against nightspot owners and hoteliers who let their premises be used for crime-related activities, chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman said on Tuesday.
He told some 500 owners of the city's nightspots and hotels that the police would only tolerate one violation.
"We'll issue a warning once we detect any crime-related activities on your premises.
"The second time a crime is committed, your building will be sealed off and then closed down," he said.
The owners were invited to the City Police Headquarters in connection with increasing crimes occurring at hotels and nightspots.
Noegroho said the police often frequented some nightspots and hotels in the capital because the owners ignored crimes occurring on their property.
"Hotels and nightspots are now crowded with people. Why? Because the owners allow drug transactions and have an excessive liquor supply at their place," Noegroho said.
"Hotels and nightspots have now become meeting places for firearm dealers. The owners also allow prostitution and gambling," he added.
Scores of nightspots were closed by city public order officers and police officers for organizing prostitution and gambling, selling drugs and operating after midnight. However, they resumed operation a few weeks later.
A public order officer was dismissed in May for receiving bribes worth Rp 300 million (US$42,860) from nightspot owners fearing he would close their business.
Small nightspot managers said, however, that they did not have enough money to keep public order officers quiet.
"We do not operate big nightspots which can pay and entertain the public order officers. We can only be hospitable and entertain them on a lower scale," said Yayat, a manager of VIP Karaoke on Jl. Pangeran Jayakarta, Central Jakarta.
He said the officers would raid the business and scare the customers if they failed to provide entertainment.
Noegroho said 11 discotheques were now put on the City Police's black list for organizing gambling, prostitution and selling drugs. They included Hailai, Stadium, Emerald, Caliber and Sydney 2000.
"In this year alone, 19 hotels, where 23 drug suppliers were arrested, were blacklisted," he said, but declined to mention any names.
Attending the briefing were representatives from several well- known nightspots and hotels, including Hailai, Rajamas, Sydney 2000, Cleopatra, Atlanta, Lido and Tigakuda discotheques, and the Atlantic Hotel, Hotel Transit Tangerang, Hotel Prinsen Park, Hotel Menteng I and II and Zanzibar Cafe. (ylt/emf)