Tue, 01 Aug 1995

Crime-fighting operations to be stepped up nationwide

JAKARTA (JP): In response to the rising crime rate, the government promised yesterday to intensify its fight against crime and called on the public to cooperate.

Minister of Defense and Security Gen. (ret.) Edi Sudrajat said the government did not intend to launch a special operation to fight crime but expects the public to take a more active role through neighborhood watch groups and other means.

"The fight against crime will be more successful if the public takes the initiative to help the authorities instead of just relying on the authorities," he said after meeting with President Soeharto to discuss a plan to inaugurate a heroes monument in Luwuk, Central Sulawesi, on Aug. 12.

A sense of insecurity has prevailed among the public following reports of the increasing number of violent crimes striking families throughout Indonesia.

In Jakarta, the public was shocked by last week's gang rape of a mother and her two teenage daughters in Bekasi. Further outrage was expressed after the reports of at least two Jakarta policemen that were killed by street hoodlums.

In Yogyakarta, a gang reportedly got away with seven kilograms of gold after they attacked the shop owner with a machete on Sunday.

Edi characterized his current police force as "adequate", provided that the public lends support to police efforts.

"It's true that the number of police should be increased but it is also important that other forces in the military he used to reinforce the anti-crime campaign," he said.

Indonesia, with a population of about 190 million people, has roughly 180,000 police officers.

Edi said Indonesia does need "shock therapy" or perhaps more "mysterious killings", as was typical in the early 1980s when suspected criminals had a tendency to disappear.

Now, however, "we will focus on prevention and investigation. We want to take the legal way," Edi said. (pan)