Hamami Nata installed as new city police chief

Hamami Nata installed as new city police chief

JAKARTA (JP): Outgoing National Police Chief Gen. Banurusman
Astrosemitro yesterday installed Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata, 49, as
the new Jakarta Police chief replacing Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo.

Dibyo, 49, has been appointed to replace Banurusman and is
scheduled to take up the position on Monday, after a ceremony for
a transfer of duty held in Semarang, Central Java.

In his speech, Gen. Banurusman, who is approaching the
retirement age of 55, ordered Hamami to keep on improving the
professionalism of Jakarta police officers, including detectives
and traffic police.

Banurusman also asked the new chief to gauge the possible
occurrence of any riots which could disturb next year's general
election.

"Keep up the good work that has been done by your
predecessor," Banurusman said.

According to the National Police chief, the number of crimes
recorded in the capital was the second highest in the country
with 22,755 cases, slightly lower than 24,034 cases listed in
East Java.

The figure indicates that the way to reduce and solve crimes
in Jakarta needs to be further formulated and could be done by
strengthening relations with other related forces and
institutions and providing suitable infrastructure.

When questioned by reporters, Hamami said that he pledged to
do his best to live up to the expectations of Banurusman in
commanding the 15,000 Jakarta police personnel.

"Besides continuing our routine operations to decrease the
crime rate in the city as much as we can, I also plan to find
ways to keep the capital safe on the days leading up to and
during the upcoming election," said Hamami, who was promoted to
major general on Monday.

Hamami left his former position as Jakarta police deputy chief
a day earlier after 14 months on duty. He was replaced by Brig.
Gen. Gunawan, head of the National Police Research and
Development Division.

Hamami, a father of two sons, spent most of his career in
several cities in East Kalimantan and Jakarta.

He was once head of the Lido Police School in Sukabumi, West
Java, and chief of the North Jakarta and Central Jakarta
precincts. He was also deputy to assistant of the Planning and
Budgeting division at the Jakarta Police.

Before being appointed city police chief deputy in January
last year, Hamami served as an adjutant to President Soeharto for
about three years.

He is a graduate of the Armed Forces Academy for Police, the
Police High School, Senior Officers School and the National
Resilience Institute.

The appointment of Dibyo and Hamami, both of whom are former
adjutants to President Soeharto, have raised questions among the
public because there are many senior generals who are more
experienced than them.

City Council Speaker M.H. Ritonga, a former city police chief,
brushed aside suggestions that both officers are too young to be
assigned to the posts.

"I was 49 years old when I was appointed as the chief of the
Jakarta Police," Ritonga told reporters.

Dibyo is scheduled to be sworn in by President Soeharto
together with the new chiefs of staff of the Navy and the Air
Force at the State Palace today. (bsr)