Japanese create friendly police to win residents' hearts

Wahyuana and Damar Harsanto The Jakarta Post/Bekasi

Police officers everywhere should bring with them a sense of security -- especially when the uniformed personnel better understand their own slogan, "to protect and to serve."

In Bekasi, residents say police officers are no longer a sinister lot compared to the general impression of officers in this country. "A friendly patrol police officer visits us four times a day," said Ngadianto, who owns an Internet cafe at the Kalimalang Shopping Center.

Locals now enjoy the benefits of a community policing system -- which adopts the koban concept from Japan -- i.e. better service from friendly policemen who provide a greater sense of security.

Ngadianto said that the officers also gave him their cellphone numbers and their office phone number to ensure that they could be easily contacted in case of emergencies.

"There has been a significant change in the relations between the community and the police. We no longer feel afraid of being in contact with them," said Ibnu Humaidah, a resident of Pondok Ungu housing estate.

"Residents also feel much more secure as community police have managed to take precautionary measures to prevent brawls, which have been common here in the past," said his neighbor, Paidi.

Members of the Bekasi police precinct also say they benefit from cooperation with Japanese police, given the lighter workload thanks to reduced numbers of reports of crimes such as theft, robbery and extortion.

"The (community policing) program requires us to approach people living with social problems, such as beggars, street musicians, pickpockets, and advise them to look for better jobs. And, we make it, eventually," claimed Second Insp. Achyar at a police post in front of the Giant Supermarket.

Achyar said that personnel at the community police post were assigned to assist with minor community issues, by providing advice, mediating quarrels, giving street directions and preventing offenses -- leaving the investigation of offenses to regular officers at the subprecinct police posts.

At the police post in the Pondok Ungu housing complex in North Bekasi, Second Brig. Eri Mulyanto said that local police have managed to settle conflicts before they turned into violent brawls. "Every week, we have to mediate disputes in the community," Eri said.

Recently in March, Eri recalled that a police officer also managed to stop a brawl and calm down conflicting groups; the Native Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) and the Native Betawi Community Solidarity Forum (FSMB).

"Both parties have agreed to stop the conflict and allow the community police to help solve the dispute," Eri said.

Head of the project assistance team from the Japan Police, Supt. Manoyoji, said that the community policing system emphasizes the creativity of each officer in giving immediate service to residents.

The community policing program is part of technical assistance provided by Japan Police, under the supervision of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the National Police. The Bekasi police precinct has been run as a pilot project since last year.

Manoyoji said the technical assistance would also include training programs for Indonesian police.

"We also plan to launch another assistance program in Bali to help establish a tourist police department there," Manoyoji added.

So far, only two community police posts have been built, one in front of the Giant supermarket and another in Pondok Ungu.

Bekasi police plan to build 14 other community police posts across the municipality and regency by the end of this year with the help of Japan. The police will provide the land for the posts, while the Japanese government will provide the funds. Each post, which costs about Rp 750 million, is expected to serve between 1,000 and 1,500 families.