City to hire 300 Kamra members

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration has agreed to hire 300 People's Security (Kamra) members to as additional members of the Jakarta Public Order Agency.

National Police Spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf said on Sunday that the 300 Kamra personnel would be selected from the current 11,800 members of the unit in the capital.

"From the discussion among officials from the Ministry of Defense, the police and city administration, the latter agreed to hire 300 members.

Saleh told The Jakarta Post the 300 personnel would be selected by a team coordinated by the police and the Ministry of Defense. But Saleh could not give further details of basic requirements needed by the Kamra personnel to pass the selection.

National Police Chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro announced on Saturday that the 36,000 members of Kamra across the country will face dissolution as their contracts will be over on Dec. 31 this year.

According to Bimantoro, the police preferred to recruit new police officers instead of continuing to use Kamra.

Kamra, introduced by former minister of defense and security and Armed Forces Commander Gen.(ret). Wiranto late in 1998, has been recruiting personnel under the guidance of the Ministry of Defense since 1999 to support security officers in maintaining public order.

The police are responsible for the operation of Kamra. From the initial number of 40,000 members, Kamra currently has around 36,000 personnel since some were recruited by the military and some have quit.

Kamra members, all males aged 18 to 45 with at least a junior high school diploma, are paid Rp 250,000 (US$29) per month plus a daily allowances of Rp 3,500 for food and transportation from the Ministry of Defense through the police.

"We have been considering how we are going to deal with the future of Kamra personnel. We hope that all governors will follow the steps taken by the Jakarta Administration to recruit the Kamra members (in their respected provinces)," Saleh remarked.

On Friday, Governor Sutiyoso said the city would recruit Kamra because the administration needs more personnel to control street vendors, prostitutes and street singers on the capital's streets.

"Currently, we only have some 700 (public order) personnel to cover all Jakarta, so we will support them with these Kamra members," Sutiyoso said.

City Public Order Agency personnel, dressed in light green uniform and white helmet can be seen at major intersections and pedestrian bridges in the heart of the capital. (dja)