Criticism of Police Bill: Expert Says Substance Not About Adding or Reducing Civilian Positions
JAKARTA - Police expert Bambang Rukminto from the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS) argues that the substance of the draft Police Law revision should not focus on increasing or decreasing civilian positions for active police officers. He states that such arrangements contradict the reform mandate outlined in the 2002 Police Law (Law No. 2 of 2002).
“The substance of the Police Law draft revision is not about adding or removing police from civilian posts, but rather contradicts Law No. 2 of 2002 itself,” Bambang said on Thursday, 28 May 2026.
He adds that these placements currently violate the existing Police Law.
“Many deployments of police personnel outside the official structure without early retirement or resignation constitute a violation of Article 28 of the Police Law, which has been deemed final and binding by the Constitutional Court,” he explained.
Bambang explained that the spirit of the Police Law has always been to foster a professional, independent police institution that maintains distance from civilian government functions. He said this separation is crucial to prevent conflicts of interest, given the police’s greater law enforcement authority compared to regular civil servants.
“The spirit of Law No. 2 of 2002 regarding personnel deployment outside the structure is to promote a professional and independent police force, distinct from civilian government functions, thereby avoiding conflicts of interest related to the police’s core duties as a state apparatus with enhanced law enforcement powers,” he stated.
Furthermore, Bambang views the compromise as an attempt to preserve power influence over the police institution.
“Politically, this compromise can be interpreted as a power move to keep the police under its influence,” he said.
On another note, he believes the situation also indicates the current human resource development system within the police is suboptimal.
Bambang noted that from the public’s perspective, deploying active police officers in civilian positions lacks strong urgency.