Controversy over Bandit Handling: Shoot-on-Sight Orders and Military Involvement

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The surge in banditry across several regions has prompted various law enforcement responses. From the formation of a Bandit Hunting Team in Jakarta, proposals for shoot-on-sight orders against perpetrators, to the involvement of the military in security patrols. However, these measures have sparked debate. Some parties argue that firm action is necessary to ensure public safety. The controversy intensified following a series of bandit incidents resulting in fatalities, including the killing of police officer Brigadier Arya Supena in Lampung after being shot by bandits. In Jakarta, the Jakarta Metropolitan Police’s General Criminal Investigation Directorate has formed a 24-hour Bandit Hunting Team. The unit is deployed at high-risk crime locations, including buffer areas such as Depok, Bekasi, and Tangerang. The debate over bandit-handling measures intensified after Lampung Police Chief Irjen Helfi Assegaf ordered officers to shoot bandits on sight. ‘There is no tolerance for bandits; I have instructed all police personnel to shoot them on sight,’ Helfi said during a press conference at the Lampung Police Headquarters on Friday, 15 May 2026. According to Helfi, bandits are now committing crimes not for economic reasons but to buy narcotics. Support for tough measures also came from Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Commission III, Ahmad Sahroni. He stated that the rising banditry in various regions necessitates strict action for public safety. ‘This is a concern, as it is not limited to specific areas, such as Makassar. I have already urged that they be shot on sight,’ Sahroni said at the DPR Building in Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday, 18 May 2026.