How Police Officer Ipda Sumerta Built Trust and Supported a Disability Foundation in Gianyar

The presence of Ipda Kadek Sumerta has changed the perceptions of children with disabilities at the Bhakti Senang Hati Foundation in Gianyar, Bali. Initially, these children were afraid to interact with the police. Now, they are no longer afraid. They see the police presence as a sign of care and concern for them. The story of Ipda Sumerta’s involvement was shared by the founder of the Bhakti Senang Hati Foundation, Putu Suryati, when contacted by detikcom on Thursday (19/2/2026). Ipda Sumerta is a candidate for the Hoegeng Corner 2025 award and has been nominated again for the Hoegeng Awards 2026. “After getting to know Pak Sumerta, he often visited our foundation, and the way he guided and taught the children there, we became close, and they felt loved. As a result, the children respect him,” said Putu. Putu said that Ipda Sumerta began his involvement with the foundation in 2017. At that time, Sumerta was serving as a Bhabinkamtibmas (Community Police Officer) in Siangan Village. After that, Ipda Sumerta was assigned as the Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit at the Tampaksiring Police Station, Gianyar Police, and is now the Head of Unit 1 of the Special Operations Unit of the Criminal Investigation Unit at the Blahbatuh Police Station, Gianyar Police, Bali Police. Although his duty station has changed, Ipda Sumerta continues to visit the foundation regularly. “Even after he was transferred, I think it was twice, but he still made time for us, the people with disabilities at the Bhakti Senang Hati Foundation. And it’s still the same now,” said Putu. Currently, there are 130 children being cared for at the foundation. Twenty of them live at the foundation, while the rest live at their respective homes. Putu explained that Ipda Sumerta teaches the children reading, writing, and English. In addition, Ipda Sumerta also encourages them to become more independent in the future. “The foundation teaches people with disabilities to be independent. After they become independent, Pak Sumerta also helps them find opportunities, and they are assisted in finding jobs after leaving the foundation,” she added. Putu said that Ipda Sumerta’s presence has had a very positive impact. There has been a change in the children’s perceptions, from initially being afraid of the police to now feeling loved. “Usually, when someone new comes, we keep our distance, but with Pak Kadek, since he started guiding us, we all feel the same. He helps build independence and confidence, which is the most important thing,” said Putu. A similar story was also shared by the manager of the Bhakti Senang Hati Foundation’s gallery, Sang Ayu Nyoman Puspa. Ayu knows Ipda Sumerta as a humane police officer. “For us, he is a different kind of police officer. In the past, we were afraid of the police. But after meeting him, that fear disappeared because he is now like family,” said Ayu. Ayu praised Ipda Sumerta’s friendly approach to the children at the foundation. Ipda Sumerta is said to often help with whatever the foundation needs. “He is involved in everything. Whatever we need at the foundation, he helps us,” she added. Ayu said that Ipda Sumerta has become a father figure to the children at the foundation. Sumerta cares for all the children there without making any distinctions. Ipda Sumerta’s Story In the Hoegeng Corner 2025 program, Ipda Sumerta shared the story of how he became involved with the Bhakti Senang Hati Foundation. When he was serving as a Bhabinkamtibmas in Siangan Village in 2017, Ipda Sumerta initially visited the homes of residents. During his visits, he discovered the Bhakti Senang Hati Foundation, which at that time was not well-known. Sumerta then visited the foundation and met with people with disabilities. Due to limited interaction with the police, the residents were initially afraid of Sumerta’s presence in his police uniform. However, over time, Sumerta was able to explain that he was there to listen to their concerns and problems. “We tried to explain that we were there as Bhabin, and that if they had any concerns or problems, they could share them with us,” said Sumerta. As time went on, Sumerta also began providing learning materials to the teenagers at the foundation, such as introducing letters and numbers. He encouraged the children who did not have a school diploma to take the Paket C (equivalent to a high school diploma). “Because I came there every day, they started to enjoy it, so I continued to teach them to read and write,” he said. Sumerta explained that the foundation was founded by Putu Suryati around 2015. For its daily operational costs, the foundation does not have any regular donors. “They find their own way by selling paintings because some of the residents can paint, selling handicrafts, and receiving assistance from volunteers, the community, and government agencies,” he added. The foundation cares for about 90 people with disabilities who do not live in the dormitory. In total, there are about 110 people, with 90 living outside and 20 living in the foundation. “Those in the dormitory are only those who are still single; those who are married do not live there,” said Sumerta. For the people with disabilities who live outside the dormitory, Sumerta helps them develop job opportunities through a community that provides tourist services using three-wheeled motorcycles. For this, he works with travel agencies around the foundation. “After I checked, they did not have the necessary legal documents, especially a driver’s license. They did not understand what they needed to pay attention to, especially safety on the road, and what kind of motorcycle they should use. I helped them prepare motorcycles that were suitable and safe, and I tried to find out what the requirements were for obtaining a driver’s license for people with disabilities. After I found out, I helped them, and now, out of the 98 members with disabilities under the foundation, about 40 have driver’s licenses and have the necessary legal documents,” said Sumerta. That’s not all.