Crime rate still rising despite police efforts
JAKARTA (JP): The increased police surveillance in search of businessman Eddy Tansil, who escaped from the Cipinang prison in East Jakarta in early May, has apparently not deterred the city's villains from committing crime.
According to police data made available to The Jakarta Post yesterday, the number of reported cases of serious crime in May did not drop significantly compared to April's figures.
The theft of motorcycles was still the most popular crime in May, followed by robbery with violence which caused death or serious injury, armed robbery and car theft.
Car theft broke a record in May with 124 reported cases, compared to the previous record of 93 cases set in January.
In May, at least nine motorcycles and four cars were reported missing each day in Greater Jakarta.
The data reveals that at least seven cases of robbery involving violence and four cases of armed robbery were reported each day.
Many thought that the escape of Tansil, 42, who was sentenced in 1994 to spend 20 years in jail for defrauding the state-owned Bank Pembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo) of Rp 1.3 trillion (US$620 million), would reduce the number of crimes in the city because all security personnel, including neighborhood leaders, had been ordered to track him down.
According to May's figures, there were 879 reports of the 11 top crimes, slightly down from the 906 cases reported the previous month.
Of the 879 cases reported, the police have solved 409 or 46.50 percent of them. In April, police solved 437 cases or about 48 percent of the 906 cases reported.
Although the June data is not yet available, police sources say that the figures should be similar to the two previous months.
In an attempt to help reduce crime in the city, the police have asked the public to secure their respective areas and property and report any crime. Crime should be reported as soon as possible by telephoning the police hotline, by dialing 110.
"The active role of the public is a precious part of our effort to fight crime in this capital," said City Police spokesman Lt. Col. Iman Haryatna. (bsr)