Jakarta increasingly unsafe to travel in, survey shows
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Margaretha Maria, 30, having heard all the horror stories of criminals running wild in the city, was worried about what to wear, what bag to carry and what type of transportation she should take to her bank in Matraman, Central Jakarta, to withdraw Rp 30 million.
Margaretha said she was afraid to take a taxi or bus carrying so much cash after hearing all the stories about robbers targeting bank customers.
"That's why I asked my husband to accompany me, so he was late getting to his office," said the resident of Rawabunga, East Jakarta.
"I have never been victimized and, of course, I don't want to fall prey to robbers. But I'm really scared," she said, citing the fatal robbery of Wisnani Safitri, 51, the wife of Ministry of Finance's secretary-general Agus Haryanto, last January.
The robbers slashed Wisnani in the neck in front of her home in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, when she refused to hand over her bag. She died on the way to the hospital.
Like Margaretha, many Jakartans feel unsafe using public transportation because of all the reports of crime in the city.
According to a survey by the Study for an Integrated Transportation Master Plan for Greater Jakarta last year, Jakartans are most concerned about security when selecting which type of public transportation they will take.
Comfort, cost, convenience and speed are all of lesser concern for city commuters, the survey said.
Most of those questioned preferred private cars and taxis. Motorcycles, ojek (motorcycle taxis), becak (three-wheeled pedicabs), bajaj (three-wheeled motorized taxis), limited seat buses, regular buses and trains were other options.
Security has become a serious concern for Jakartans as the crime rate has increased over the last several years, particularly crimes targeting people on the streets.
Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanegara acknowledged that crime had risen in this city of some 10 million people.
"There has been an increase in crime rates. Various social problems, coupled with the economic crisis, are the main factors (behind this)," the chief said in a statement on Wednesday.
The country's economic crisis, which began in the middle of 1997, is often blamed for increasing crime rates in Jakarta and other cities.
The number of crimes reported in Jakarta jumped significantly from 22,485 in 1997 to 33,284 in 2001 and 34,270 in 2002. The worse year for crime, however, was 1998, when there were 40,769 reported cases.
As of June 12 this year, Makbul said, a crime such as homicide, auto theft, aggravated assault and extortion took place in the city every two minutes and 56 seconds. In the same period last year this figure was two minutes and 51 seconds.
There also seems to have been an increase in the violence of the crimes being committed this year.
In the past six months, for example, 12 shootings involving civilians were reported to the city police, including the attempted murder of businessman Paulus Tejakusuma, who was shot on a busy street in Central Jakarta.
Urban observer Yayat Supriyatna of Trisakti University said criminals were now targeting locations once considered to be among the safest places in the city -- people's homes.
"High and strong steel fences around homes in Jakarta simply reflect how residents here feel insecure living in the city," he said.
Most frequent crimes in Jakarta
2001 2002 as of June 12, 2003
1. Burglary 2,647 2,546 802 2. Theft 5,093 4,567 2,565 3. Aggravated assault 1,225 1,372 530 4. Homicide 73 76 30 5. Vehicle theft 6,466 6,180 2,552 6. Arson 421 489 171 7. Gambling 248 400 183 8. Extortion 524 594 223 9. Rape 89 107 50 10.Drug trafficking 1,831 2,642 1,134 11.Juvenile Delinquency 60 49 20
TOTAL 18,677 19,011 8,332
Source: City police