Military mobilize 2,500 personnel to back up police

Military mobilize 2,500 personnel to back up police

JAKARTA (JP): City Military Command, without much publicity,
has fielded 2,500 troops to back up a police anti-crime
operation, an official says.

Spokesman for the City Military Command, Lt. Col. Didi Supandi
said that 1,300 of them are motorbike troops who normally operate
in Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi areas.

The officers, part of 4,000 personnel fielded for the
discipline campaign, are on the alert in crime prone areas, he
said.

The priority areas include Tanah Abang and Senen in Central
Jakarta, Blok M in South Jakarta, Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta,
Mangga Besar in West Jakarta and Cawang in East Jakarta.

Didi insisted that people should not feel threatened by crime
in the city.

"Military and police officers will make the city safer," he
said.

He denied reports that the crime rate in the city is
increasing. "The number of crimes this year is lower than that of
last year," he said.

According to city police data, 10,996 crimes were committed
during the first six months of this year, 2,990 less than the
same period last year.

Yesterday several high ranking officers of the City Military
Command personally led the cleansing operation, including
operational assistant Col. Ansyori Deas, commander of the
Infantry Brigade I Col. Eddy Budianto, and commander the Air
Defense Artillery Col. Supardi.

The military troops arrested eight people, believed to be
street hoodlums, for carrying sharp weapons and drug possession
at Tanjung Priok bus station and Semper, North Jakarta.

Five of the people resisted arrest and drew passersby's
attention.

Supardi said that the detainees would be put on trial. "The
police will send them to court," he said.

He disclosed that 50 areas in North Jakarta, including Cakung,
Cilincing, Semper, Tanjung Priok, Muara Bambu and Sunter in North
Jakarta are prone to crime.

Meanwhile, city police have arrested 192 people, including
street walkers, in their cleansing operation code named Kilat
Jaya since Nov.18, in East Jakarta, North Jakarta and Central
Jakarta.

According to Lt. Col. Gorrys Mere, the 192 people were
arrested for allegedly carrying sharp weapons, possession of
drugs, armed robbery and having no ID cards. Most of them were
arrested in Tanjung Priok, Tanah Abang and Senen.

Police confiscated six sharp weapons, 495 bottles of alcohol,
59 pornographic books, and four boxes of pornographic cards.
(29/05)