Governor rejects police's proposal for more funds
Governor rejects police's proposal for more funds
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso rejected on Wednesday the
possibility of granting more money to the city police for
additional operational expenditures.
While insisting that the police's financing is not the
responsibility of the city administration, Sutiyoso said that
allocating additional funds to the city police force would be
inappropriate.
"The responsibility of financing the city police's operational
expenditures is in the National Police's hands, not ours.
"We, the city administration, only act as a contributor," he
told reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony at the Jakarta
Fair grounds in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, celebrating the
establishment of the Jakarta contingent for the 15th National
Games (PON) in Surabaya next month.
Sutiyoso was commenting on Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen.
Nurfaizi's request to the city councillors on Tuesday to help
persuade the city administration to increase its financial
assistance to the city police.
The governor said that the city administration would only bear
the responsibility of subsidizing the city police's activities
and operations once regional autonomy was put into effect some
time next year.
Meanwhile, he said, the minimum financial support the police
now received from the city administration should not make them
"lower" the quality of their public services.
"Don't make it (the minimum budget) an excuse for not doing a
good job," he said.
In a hearing on city security programs at the City Council on
Tuesday, Nurfaizi asked for an increase in the city
administration's financial assistance. The current budget of Rp
900 million (US$105,882) was apparently not enough.
"We contribute some Rp 6 billion a day to the city
administration via driver's licenses, vehicle taxes and other
revenues. So, why do we receive only Rp 900 million, a small
percentage of our contribution a year?" he asked city
councillors.
Without mentioning on how much the police should get, Nurfaizi
said the current budget would not be enough to finance the
operational expenditures for 18,000 police officers in Greater
Jakarta areas.
Adrianus Meliala, a criminologist from the University of
Indonesia (UI), shared Sutiyoso's statement, saying that the
police chief's request was irrelevant.
"It is their (the police's) obligation to provide services to
the public. City police should be grateful with the city
administration, which has regularly contributed money for police
operational expenditures, especially because they are not obliged
to do so," Meliala said in a telephone interview with The Jakarta
Post on Wednesday.
"Police can complain later once regional autonomy has been
established if the city administration does not provide proper
financial assistance for police expenditures," he said.
He also stated that the police could later question the city
administration about its high expectations regarding police
performance in return for the contributions.
"But to ask for an increased budget while it is currently
under the supervision of the National Police is really
inappropriate," he said. (09)
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso rejected on Wednesday the
possibility of granting more money to the city police for
additional operational expenditures.
While insisting that the police's financing is not the
responsibility of the city administration, Sutiyoso said that
allocating additional funds to the city police force would be
inappropriate.
"The responsibility of financing the city police's operational
expenditures is in the National Police's hands, not ours.
"We, the city administration, only act as a contributor," he
told reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony at the Jakarta
Fair grounds in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, celebrating the
establishment of the Jakarta contingent for the 15th National
Games (PON) in Surabaya next month.
Sutiyoso was commenting on Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen.
Nurfaizi's request to the city councillors on Tuesday to help
persuade the city administration to increase its financial
assistance to the city police.
The governor said that the city administration would only bear
the responsibility of subsidizing the city police's activities
and operations once regional autonomy was put into effect some
time next year.
Meanwhile, he said, the minimum financial support the police
now received from the city administration should not make them
"lower" the quality of their public services.
"Don't make it (the minimum budget) an excuse for not doing a
good job," he said.
In a hearing on city security programs at the City Council on
Tuesday, Nurfaizi asked for an increase in the city
administration's financial assistance. The current budget of Rp
900 million (US$105,882) was apparently not enough.
"We contribute some Rp 6 billion a day to the city
administration via driver's licenses, vehicle taxes and other
revenues. So, why do we receive only Rp 900 million, a small
percentage of our contribution a year?" he asked city
councillors.
Without mentioning on how much the police should get, Nurfaizi
said the current budget would not be enough to finance the
operational expenditures for 18,000 police officers in Greater
Jakarta areas.
Adrianus Meliala, a criminologist from the University of
Indonesia (UI), shared Sutiyoso's statement, saying that the
police chief's request was irrelevant.
"It is their (the police's) obligation to provide services to
the public. City police should be grateful with the city
administration, which has regularly contributed money for police
operational expenditures, especially because they are not obliged
to do so," Meliala said in a telephone interview with The Jakarta
Post on Wednesday.
"Police can complain later once regional autonomy has been
established if the city administration does not provide proper
financial assistance for police expenditures," he said.
He also stated that the police could later question the city
administration about its high expectations regarding police
performance in return for the contributions.
"But to ask for an increased budget while it is currently
under the supervision of the National Police is really
inappropriate," he said. (09)