City Hall to purchase bomb detectors to improve security
City Hall to purchase bomb detectors to improve security
JAKARTA (JP): After receiving at least two bomb threats over
the past three days, the city administration plans to purchase
seven bomb detectors and make significant improvements to the
security system at the City Hall building complex.
Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs Abdul Kahfi said on
Thursday that the security guards at the complex would also be
trained in detection and disarming of explosive devices.
"It might not be sophisticated training, sufficient only for
simple explosive devices simply to anticipate an emergency
situation," he said.
Such improvements, Abdul said, were needed due to the current
unfavorable situation that has caused uneasiness to employees
working at the 21-story building on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan in
Central Jakarta.
A day earlier, Abdul briefed the City Hall employees on the
same issue.
After the meeting, he told journalists that the bomb detectors
would be placed at all of the seven entrances of the complex.
The official, however, did not disclose the amount of money to
be spent on the equipment or the date of the installment. The
complex is also home to the office of the Jakarta governor.
"Besides installing the detectors, we are going to improve
security procedures in the building by screening every visitor
entering the complex," he said.
City Hall management, for instance, would provide
identification cards for all employees and journalists, who are
registered at City Hall.
Visitors will have to register before being allowed to enter,
he said.
City Hall received the second bomb threat at 7:45 on Wednesday
morning. It later proved to be another hoax.
The latest threat was received by staff member Syarief
Mardjanu from an anonymous caller, who told him that a bomb had
been placed in the basement parking lot and would be detonated
within an hour after the call.
The threat proved to be a hoax after security personnel and
police checked the whole area and found no suspicious objects.
The office received the first bomb threat on Monday, forcing
the administration to call for a bomb squad to secure the
compound.
"Every employee should be prepared if such threats happen to
be true. We hope they can evacuate and secure all important data
from their offices as quickly as possible," Abdul said.
"But they should not just leave the office and go straight
home after being informed of a bomb threat," he remarked.
Most of the city officials went home on Monday after waiting
for police bomb squad officers to comb their offices. (dja)