Despite stabbing at Rasuna, apartment dwellers feel safe
Despite stabbing at Rasuna, apartment dwellers feel safe
Arya Abhiseka, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A recent attack on a foreigner at an apartment block in
Jakarta has not shaken the belief of most apartment tenants that
their building managements have in place adequate security
procedures.
The stabbing last week of a Japanese woman at the Taman Rasuna
apartments in Kuningan, South Jakarta, shocked many but did not
destroy the general feeling of security they feel in their
buildings.
"The incident served as a warning to me that I must be more
careful about my safety living in an apartment in a big city,"
said Vivi, 33, a tenant at the Rasuna apartments.
She said, however, that the incident would not convince her to
move. "I am aware of the possibilities, including the unfortunate
incident that happened to the Japanese woman, but I still have a
great deal of trust in our security system here."
According to her, the building management has issued letters
informing tenants of increased security measures following the
stabbing.
She also said she had noticed an increased number of security
guards around the apartment complex.
Jakarta has the highest crime rate in the nation, causing
residents to take extra steps in ensuring their safety.
The city's luxury apartment buildings are known for providing
tenants the best facilities, including swimming pools, tennis
courts, racquetball courts, gym and, most of all, first-class
security.
This last facility is the reason many of the city's wealthy
and expatriate residents choose to live in apartments.
Husin, a security guard at an apartment building in Permata
Hijau, South Jakarta, said the security system at the building
ensured the safety of tenants.
"We take the registration cards of all the cars coming in, to
avoid auto theft. Inside the lobby we have a camera to monitor
everybody who wants to enter the building, while our security
guards check the identification cards of all visitors," he said.
One apartment building in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, has
issued tenants personal elevator cards. Without the cards,
tenants cannot use the elevators and will be denied entrance to
their own apartments.
Another apartment building in Kuningan also provides personal
elevator cards, preventing non-tenants from entering.
A security guard at the apartments said its security measures
had been successful in maintaining a zero percent crime rate at
the building.
One tenant at an apartment building in Simprug, South Jakarta,
Rudy, said that however sophisticated the security system of a
building, the security of tenants depended on themselves.
"By no means to downplay what happened at Rasuna, we live in a
big city where things like murder happen. We ourselves have to be
cautious about any possible threat to our safety, regardless of
where we live," he said.