Evaluation of Public Security Following Riotous Protest: Riau Police Chief Replaces District Personnel

Strengthening public security and order has become the primary focus for the Riau Regional Police following a protest that turned violent in Panipahan, Pasir Limau Kapas Subdistrict, Rokan Hilir Regency. As part of the evaluation measures, Riau Police Chief Herry Heryawan replaced Panipahan Police Chief AKP Robiansyah and Criminal Investigation Unit Officer Aipda Rahmat Ilyas of the Panipahan Police Station. The Police Chief stressed that this step represents the institution’s responsibility in ensuring that security stability in the region remains maintained, especially amid developing social dynamics within the community. “This is part of our evaluation to ensure that the public security and order situation can be managed better. Every region must be capable of maintaining conduciveness to prevent it from developing into broader disruptions,” said Herry on Sunday (12/4/2026). According to him, the role of leaders at the regional level is crucial in reading situations and responding to potential security disturbances quickly and accurately. When situation control does not run optimally, corrective actions need to be taken immediately. He added that strengthening public security and order is not only carried out through personnel changes but also through more intensive field approaches. Since the initial incident, the Rokan Hilir Police Chief along with local government officials has directly gone to the location to calm the situation by involving community leaders, religious figures, and customary leaders. A dialogue approach is considered key to reducing escalation and maintaining social stability. “We prioritise a persuasive approach so that the situation quickly returns to conducive. Communication with the community is an important part of maintaining public security and order,” he said. Strengthening supervision is also continuously carried out. Riau Regional Police personnel along with local government have been redeployed to Panipahan to ensure the situation is truly under control and to prevent potential further disruptions. The presence of leaders in the field, according to the Police Chief, is a tangible form of the state’s presence in guaranteeing the community’s sense of security while ensuring that the entire handling process runs comprehensively. “We want to ensure that stability remains maintained, there is no further escalation, and all issues are handled thoroughly, both from a security perspective and a social approach,” he stated. Currently, the situation in Panipahan is reported to be gradually conducive, and community activities have returned to normal. Nevertheless, preventive measures continue to be strengthened to keep the situation secure. The Police Chief also urged the public to maintain calm and not to be easily provoked by issues that could disrupt security stability. He affirmed that public concerns, including those related to drug circulation, will be followed up seriously by authorities. However, the handling must be carried out through applicable legal mechanisms. “We invite the entire community to jointly maintain public security and order. If there is information regarding legal violations, immediately report it to the authorities so it can be followed up appropriately,” he said.