Chief police Noegroho tells hoteliers to 'say no to crime'
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)