Criminologist Says Shooting Robbers on the Spot Only Provides Temporary Deterrent

JAKARTA – University of Indonesia (UI) criminologist Haniva Hasna has warned that shooting robbery suspects on the spot offers only a temporary deterrent. “The effect is usually short-term as a shock effect,” she told Kompas.com on Sunday (24/5/2026). Street crimes like robbery are adaptive when faced with repressive measures alone, she said, with perpetrators easily changing tactics or using younger individuals to avoid suspicion. Moreover, shooting on sight could make robbers more violent, believing they face death regardless of capture. Measures such as intensified patrols, CCTV installation, improving street lighting, and disrupting criminal networks should be prioritised. Hasna advised the government and police to follow three principles when determining appropriate responses: the state must protect citizens from street violence; lethal force may be used only when there is an imminent threat to life; and normalising repressive violence risks abuse of power, wrongful shootings, criminalisation of vulnerable groups, and declining public trust in the law.