Hamami supports public efforts to nab criminals

JAKARTA (JP): City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata gave his support yesterday to civilians who assist police eliminate crime by capturing and handing over alleged criminals.

But Hamami warned the public not to take the law into their own hands by assaulting suspects.

"People participation in fighting crime is very helpful," the two-star general said. "But they are not allowed to physically attack suspects, it is against the law."

Hamami was commenting on the growing number of beatings by angry mobs who capture alleged criminals red-handed.

According to police data, at least seven people have been badly beaten by civilians in the capital this month. Four of the suspects died.

At least four of those beaten were later identified as hoodlums who extorted money from passersby and traders.

The latest mass beating occurred in Kampung Ceger, East Jakarta, on Thursday when a crowd of angry people ganged up on two alleged extortionists. Both men died.

The two unidentified men were caught by local people, who were upset by the impact of the men's crimes on the neighborhood.

City Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said yesterday that the two men, and two accomplices who managed to flee from the mob, had allegedly assaulted Aman Andi Yangah, 27, and Suwandi, 30 and made off with Rp 5,000 (US$1.30).

"Aman was slashed with a knife across the chest while Suwandi was slashed across the forehead and stabbed in the nose as well," Aritonang said. "The two suspects lashed out after they discovered that Aman and Suwandi could only give them Rp 5,000.

"Isn't it a shame that one person can actually stab another over Rp 5,000," he said. "I also feel sad that two lives were lost because of money."

The stolen Rp 5,000 note was found in one of the dead men's pockets.

Shootings

Hamami defended yesterday his officers' handling of alleged criminals after their arrest.

He said repressive measures were only used as a last resort. However, their actions should not go against existing laws and police investigation procedures.

"Officers do not easily resort to such strong measures, particularly the shooting of an offender," Hamami said. "Only if placed in a critical situation, in which the victim's or his own life is at stake, will an officers shoot the suspect out of self- defense."

At least 80 alleged criminals have been shot dead and another 25 wounded by police here this year.

In many cases, the official police announcement states that the alleged criminals were shot or wounded as they tried to escape or attack the officers.

The latest shootings took place Thursday. Three alleged armed robbers were shot dead in separate incidents in East and Central Jakarta.

Police identified two of the men as hoodlums from the Kramat Jati market in East Jakarta.

Earlier, the commander of the National Police Detectives Corps, Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi, said in a seminar on Wednesday that crimes perpetrated by hoodlums had already become a national matter.

In 1995, the National Police identified more than 30,000 hoodlums who operated in various parts of the country, especially big cities like Jakarta, Bandung, Medan and Surabaya, Nurfaizi said.

"The hoodlums come from various ethnic and education backgrounds with ages ranging from under 15 to over 40."

Nurfaizi said that their actions, which have irritated and scared many people, had become more threatening. He also pointed to the increasingly organized nature of hoodlumism, with many perpetrators recently linked to organizations or legal institutions.

"Many hoodlums are now hired as debt collectors, drugs dealers or pimps," he said. (cst)