National Police must be decentralized: Expert

Andi A. Mallarangeng, a political expert and proponent of the regional autonomy drive, shares with The Jakarta Post's Ridwan M. Sijabat his thoughts on the need to "decentralize" the National Police.

Question: What role should the National Police play in the autonomy drive?

Answer: The National Police should preserve its original roles, namely order and security, enforcing the law, combating crime and regulating traffic. So, the police's main task is to serve the public.

However, the current crucial problem is not what the police's duties are but how they should carry them out as effectively and efficiently as possible so as to maintain public order and security.

In entering the autonomy era, the National Police must be decentralized, or at least deconcentrated, in order to improve their accountability and service to the public. All police personnel must be decentralized to regencies under police districts.

A district police chief with his/her officers must be subordinated to the regency administration concerned and be accountable to its regent.

Q: Why should the police be decentralized?

A: Because all regions have their unique social problems and locals know better than the police do what their real problems in their own regions are. So, with autonomy, (we should) let the people identify their social problems and set priorities as to what the police in their region must do.

For example, the Acehnese have demanded that their policewomen wear the jilbab (Islamic headscarve), the Papuans want the police to enforce the law and create a feeling of security among them... Of course, the police in urban areas are being required to concentrate on combating terrorism, the widespread use of banned drugs and economic crimes.

Q: Your comments on the recent bombings in a number of cities?

A: As a member of the Indonesian Peace Forum (FID), I would suggest that the police, who are responsible for security and order nationwide, investigate the incidents thoroughly and... take strict action against those who are directly and indirectly involved in the bombings.

The long and complicated line of command from the National Police chief to police districts and police stations in the areas concerned will likely obstruct a thorough investigation into the incidents.

The police would find it easier to investigate the bombings if the National Police were decentralized because police districts would then have to account to regents and regency legislative councils.

Q: What is wrong with the current centralized line of command in the National Police?

A: The current long and complicated line of command has made the police ineffective and inefficient in carrying out their onerous duties. Internal reform in the National Police organization will not be successful unless the force returns to its 1945 khittah (raison d'etre) when it was subordinated into the home affairs ministry.

The police in Malaysia, France, Italy and many other democratic countries are subordinate to their home affairs ministries and the people in these countries respect their police forces for their good work and public service.

Q: What are the benefits of a decentralized police force?

A: Police personnel will be grouped into police districts in regencies and they must be loyal to regents. Their budget and recruitment system will be determined by the regency administrations and regency legislative councils concerned. National Police Headquarters will have the sole task of providing an education and training system with a general curriculum for police cadets.

In appointing a district police chief, a regency administration should advertise in the media to attract qualified candidates.

Candidates will be selected by regency legislative councils. The shortlisted candidates are then proposed to the regent for his consideration.

Regions will have the authority to design the structure of their police districts and to allocate the necessary budgets in accordance with their social problems.

Q: Is our police force ready for such a transformation?

A: Like or not, it must be done some time in the future. However, the police could begin to become deconcentrated in the provinces during the current transition period.

With such deconcentration, provincial police forces would be subordinated to governors and a governor would have the authority to appoint the provincial police chief from among several candidates proposed by the National Police chief. These candidates would have to be approved by the provincial legislative council.

It is now the time for people to freely determine what the police must do in order to maintain order and security and this is a part of democracy.

Q: What will happen to the military's territorial function?

A: The Military Commands, Military Districts and Subdistricts and their subordinate counterparts in the villages must be dissolved in order to enable the police to carry out their security function. The military should be involved in the security function only in emergency situations.

The police will not be able to perform their duties and democracy will not develop if the presence of the military in the regions is maintained.