City needs Army, Police to maintain order

JAKARTA (JP): The city authorities are seeking more help from the military and police in their citywide crackdown on public order offenders.

A member of the just-concluded operation to maintain security and order, R. Sitindjak, said the presence of Army and police troops had proven effective in curbing the number of clashes between the city authorities and the public, mostly street vendors and buskers, during the crackdown.

"I suggested that the city authorities request for more Army and police personnel to help in the operation," Sitindjak, who was in charge of the operation in South Jakarta, said in his report at the ceremony which marked the conclusion of the operation, code named Yustisi, conducted since Nov. 27, 2000.

Clashes, due to the use of force by the city authorities, often marred the operation in the past.

Sitindjak also suggested that future operations be conducted under a gubernatorial decree to give it legal protection.

He revealed that in South Jakarta alone, 482 offenders were brought to trial, more than half of them for having an identity card. Fines of Rp 5.7 million were collected from minor offenses.

Head of the city's public order office Raya Siahaan said the citywide operation brought hundreds of people to trial, resulting in fines totaling Rp 12.9 million.

During the operation, 11,304 people were detained for violating public order regulations.

The operation also targeted becak (three-wheeled public transportation vehicles) drivers, squatters living river banks and railway stations, drugs addicts, illegal liquor and firecracker vendors, and unauthorized billboards. (04)