Hope for the police
Hope for the police
From Bisnis Indonesia
The disorder in Jakarta is no longer bearable. A one-way road
is now boldly transgressed either by bajaj (three-wheeled
motorized vehicle), taxi, motorbikes or bicycles, causing traffic
jams. Big buses that are no longer roadworthy traverse our
streets, resulting in increased pollution.
We can no longer see a clear blue sky in the capital. We can
only see mists of smoke in the morning, in the daytime and in the
evening. It is even becoming difficult to breathe.
Safe paths for pedestrians are getting scarcer. Motorbikes
just use them as they wish, while street vendors spread out their
wares on footpaths or along roads.
People with much money behave as they like. With their
luxurious cars they "conveniently" throw trash or tissues on the
road, as if it were their ancestors' road.
It is time now for the police to resume road patrols in every
region, so that once a transgression is made, prompt measures can
be taken. Don't wait until there are a lot of transgressions.
New York is a city with the highest level of crime in the
world, but there we feel safe because on every block of the city
a policeman is stationed, using a patrol car or on horseback.
Police patrol the city 24 hours a day.
Even in a small and quiet town like Darwin, Australia,
policemen are on the alert everywhere. As soon as a drunkard
starts to destroy public facilities or to attack other people, he
is arrested.
Singapore is another case. Its government assigns
plainclothes policemen to uphold order. Bus and taxi drivers in
Singapore are very disciplined, they don't want to stop at just
any place even if bribed, no matter how big the bribe is.
With the new development, i.e. the detachment of the National
Police from the Ministry of Defense, hopefully the police as an
institution will be encouraged to improve themselves and to give
something new to the public, i.e. Police officers who protect and
give citizens a feeling of safety.
One of the methods to this end is by being present everywhere,
having authority, and refusing bribes, because if you are liable
to bribery, your authority is under the thumb of the briber.
The government needs to be realistic concerning the police. It
is time to increase police salaries so that they can economically
support their families and no longer be tempted by a "cheap" Rp
50,000 bribe on the road. The number of police needs to be
increased, patrol cars to be added, infrastructure and working
facilities to be improved.
The enhancement of the police force's performance requires big
funds, and to this end the government can raise funds, inter alia
by imposing big fines on trespassers of public discipline and
traffic. But its realization should not be like what is happening
now, where the heavy penalty is only on paper.
MARGARETHA OKTOVIANI
Jakarta