Hoodlums begin reform in training courses
Hoodlums begin reform in training courses
JAKARTA (JP): City police have sent 150 hoodlums to join
training courses at the State Police School in Lido, Sukabumi,
West Java, and the city military regiment training center in East
Jakarta to help them improve their positive skills.
According to a reliable police source, the street hoodlums,
locally known as preman, were apprehended at several places in
and around the city over the past few days.
"As of today, we have identified 150 preman, most of whom were
arrested in Central Jakarta, who will be sent to the two
institutions," a city police officer, who refused to be named,
said yesterday.
A convoy of five police trucks, packed with preman was seen
leaving City Police headquarters yesterday afternoon under tight
guard, a witness, who asked for anonymity, told The Jakarta Post.
The police school in Lido is about 60 kilometers south of the
city, while the regiment training center is located on Jl. Raya
Condet 55.
City police spokesman Lt. Col. Bambang Haryoko was not
available for confirmation because he was taking an enrollment
test for a new course.
The preman, sent to the training courses, are part of those
arrested in an operation launched after a group of street
hoodlums killed a police officer in South Jakarta early this
month.
Head of the Central Jakarta police precinct Lt. Col. Murawi
Effendi confirmed that his office sent a total of 100 hoodlums to
city police headquarters yesterday for further identification,
before being sent to the two institutions.
"They are part of the 119 people apprehended early Wednesday
evening at several points in the crowded Tanah Abang and Senen
shopping areas in Central Jakarta," Murawi told the Post.
The remaining 19 people were released because they were not
involved in any crimes and could show their original
identification cards as well as other documents, he said.
Speaking carefully, Murawi said that some of the other 100
people were detained even though police did not find them in
possession of illegal drugs or sharp weapons during their
arrests.
They were detained because police officers strongly believe --
based on data and accurate public information -- that they commit
acts of thuggery in certain areas, he said.
Murawi explained that sending arrested preman to training
courses is mainly meant to help facilitate police efforts to
clean-up the city's streets of hoodlums.
"Just taking them off the streets without following up with
training courses will not solve the problem," he said. "It will
only give us endless and superfluous work."
The street hoodlums will be carefully trained in several
courses in a number of fields, including carpentry, in order to
further develop their positive skills to face a better living in
the future, Murawi said, but refused to explain further by
saying, "Please get the details from the city police spokesman."
City Military headquarters stated in a release yesterday that
head of the city office for the Coordinating Agency for National
Stability, Maj. Gen. Wiranto, is scheduled today to open a short-
term course for helping street hoodlums.
Spokesman Lt. Col. Didi Supandi said in a statement that
Wiranto, who is also the City Military Commander, will be
accompanied by City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Dibyo Widodo and
Governor Surjadi Soedirdja.
The ceremony will take place at the military regiment training
center in East Jakarta. (bsr)