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)