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