COP helps reduce crime in Yogyakarta
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta
A local senior security officer has praised a community-oriented security project, called Community Oriented Policing (COP), for its contribution in reducing the crime rate, at least in the areas in which it has implemented, by up to 20 percent.
"Through the project, relations between the police and the community have also improved so that both parties are able to discuss solutions to security-related problems," Yogyakarta Police chief Brig. Gen. Sudirman said on Friday.
The police chief said his office was considering extending the project, jointly run by the Yogyakarta Police and the Indonesian Islamic University's (UII) Center for Human Rights Studies -- to other police subprecincts in the province.
Sr. Comr. Suharto of the Yogyakarta Police Headquarters, who is facilitating the program with the center, said they would propose that the program be included in next year's police budget.
Sponsored by the Asia Foundation, the COP program is aimed mainly at promoting interaction between the police and the community in handling security-related problems, especially those regarding security protection for the community in general and vulnerable groups such as children, women and the disabled, in particular.
The program is currently being tested in three police subprecincts -- Depok Barat in Sleman regency and Mergangsan and Umbulharjo, both in Yogyakarta municipality.
Each of the three areas had serious specific security problems. Depok Barat, for example, used to be prone to vehicle theft, while Umbulharjo was known for residents who took the law into their own hands whenever they caught lawbreakers red-handed. Mergangsan was known for daylight robbery.
The center's program manager, Eko Prasetyo, said the program had proved a success and had improved the police's image.
"Such a more humane, people-oriented police service is proving to be successful and has received a positive response from the public," Eko said, adding that the project had gained recognition from both the local community and the police headquarters in Jakarta.
"I believe this is an applicable model for the rest of Indonesia," he said.
Starting in November last year and ending in October this year, the pilot project is conducted in such a way that the public and the police are given more chances to interact and discuss everything about security-related problems and decide upon an agreed solution for every problem discussed.
"The main challenge for the National Police is to be able to respond adequately and swiftly to the increasing needs and expectations of the people for a secure environment. The project is one of the efforts to make it a reality," Herbin Marulak Siahaan of the Asia Foundation said of the program.