Joint security patrols to police crime black spots

Joint security patrols to police crime black spots

JAKARTA (JP): The city authorities would deploy a group of 15
police, soldiers and civilian security personnel at each of the
city's crime black spots beginning Friday, a senior official
said.

Some others would be posted in the areas with warring
neighborhoods, deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs Abdul
Kahfi said on Thursday.

According to Kahfi, the decision was made by the city
administration in cooperation with the Jakarta Military Command
and City Police in light of the fact of the escalating number of
street crimes and violent neighborhood clashes in the capital.

Speaking with the media after a meeting with heads of
subdistricts prone either to crime and intra-resident clashes at
the City Hall, Kahfi said the security personnel would be posted
at street junctions, turning points and traffic lights, which
have been vulnerable to street robberies and extortion.

"Every spot will be guarded by 15 officers. They will be on
alert during the peak hours, such as during the time most
employees go to and leave their offices and at lunch time," he
said.

The civilian security personnel would include members of the
city's public order office and hansip (civilian guards), Kahfi
said

Data from the city public order office showed that the number
of crime black spots in the capital had doubled from 31 in July
to 60 last month.

It is believed that the number of such vulnerable areas would
continue to increase in line with the trend of growing poverty.

Black spots

According to the office, the city's black spots included parts
of the toll roads in the capital, street junctions on Jl. K.S.
Tubun in Tanah Abang, Kota and Gambir railway stations, Lapangan
Banteng, the Sarinah Department store, Matraman, Taman Suropati,
Gunung Sahari and Senen in Central Jakarta.

In West Jakarta these include street junctions in Tomang,
Grogol, Slipi and Jl. Daan Mogot and Jl. Kyai Tapa. In East
Jakarta junctions in Cililitan, in areas around Taman Mini
Indonesia Indah, along Jl. Pemuda and in Klender are notorious.

In South Jakarta among others: street junctions in Kuningan,
Pondok Labu, Pancoran and the Blok M shopping area, along with
several streets in the Ancol and Pluit areas of North Jakarta.

Kahfi said the security personnel would particularly safeguard
all vehicles queuing at the traffic lights "because the crooks
usually commit the crimes against motorists during the red light
phase".

The deployment of the personnel would last until the city
became safe again.

In the warring neighborhoods, the personnel would be located
at nearby posts, which would be developed by stages beginning
Friday.

Their presence, Kahfi said, was meant to settle the long-time
clashes between residents of the neighborhoods, such as those in
the Matraman Jaya and Manggarai subdistricts in Central Jakarta.

"We hope that their existence will ease clashes or at least
settle any possible fresh brawls in these areas," he said.

According to the administration data, neighborhood brawls in
the capital had claimed four lives and gutted 42 houses with a
total of Rp 250 million in material losses. (ind)