City to sweep vendors for APEC
JAKARTA (JP): The city administration will soon deploy law enforcement officers to expel street vendors from main roads in the run-up to next month's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum's meeting to be held here and in Bogor, some 70 kilometers south of here.
"We will conduct the operation to keep order and security in the city during the meeting," the head of the City Security Bureau Kusaeni Budiantoro announced yesterday.
A similar operation was launched two years ago when Jakarta hosted the Non-Aligned Movement summit.
He explained that the operation's main goal this time is to step up security precautions in potential dangerous areas in the city during the meeting.
Kusaeni acknowledged that the operation has been going on for a few months through crackdowns on alcoholic beverages and prostitutes.
According to the data provided by the office 98,150 bottles of booze were confiscated in April, 153,861 bottles in May, 152 bottles in June, 182 bottles in July, 2,300 bottles in August and 465 bottles in September.
He explained that the operation has been intensified since early this month by clearing the areas that the meeting's participants will lay their eyes on.
Kusaeni said that basically the office is focusing on main areas such as the hotels where the meeting's delegates will stay during the forum.
"The operation will also be conducted on the surrounding streets," he added.
A.F. Lapian, deputy chairman of the city security office, explained that the street operation is divided into four phases.
In the first phase, which got underway on Oct. 1, and will last through Oct. 20, the office will attempt to persuade street vendors not to sell their goods on the streets.
He explained that during the second phase, a 15-day operation due to start on Oct. 21, the office will nab stubborn street vendors who persist in trying to make a living by trading on the streets.
"The third and fourth phases are to control public order and security by deploying officers on those streets. This will be conducted from Nov. 6 until Nov. 30," Lapian said.
He said that 500 officers per shift, including police officers, will be deployed to guard the city during the meeting.
The data provided by the office states that 184 street vendors were nabbed from April until September --- 13 people in April, 17 in June, 60 in July, 65 in August and 29 in September.
He also said that the operation will include efforts to apprehend people who violate public order regulations, such as crossing streets at illegal spots and littering.
"I hope Jakartans will obey the regulations as their participation is instrumental in making the city beautiful and clean," Lapian said.
The public order operation which was launched in April has nabbed 27 people, 59 people in May, 122 in July and 122 in August.
The office also nabbed a total of 1,001 squatters in its operation from April until September --- 262 squatters in April, 279 in May, 37 in June, 227 in July, 148 in August and 48 in September.(yns)