New chief calls for professionalism

SUKABUMI, West Java (JP): National Police Chief Gen. Dibyo Widodo called for greater police professionalism in the face of increasingly complex crimes and social problems.

Speaking to 1,500 new graduates of the School for middle-rank Police Officers (Secapa) here yesterday, Dibyo blamed a complex society and global economy for the changes to crime.

"Police officers should continue building their skills and knowledge through field experience, formal education programs and self-education."

Only then can police serve the public better and maintain social stability and security, Dibyo said.

He warned the graduates that the nature of current and future challenges facing police and the nation was vastly different than those in the first 50 years after independence in 1945.

The National Police, who struggled to maintain stability in previous decades, would have to contend with new problems and crimes in the coming years, he said.

Dibyo, who was recently promoted to a four-star general along with the chiefs of staff from the Air Force and Navy, praised the school for its sustainable education program.

Second Lieutenant Ade Koesnadi, the top graduate, said after the ceremony that he was impressed with the education he received.

The officers were encouraged to develop more skills and broaden their knowledge, he said.

"I entered the Secapa program with minimum knowledge and skill, although I did have four-years experience in the field.

"Here we were given in-depth study on investigation, police law and the criminal code," he said.

Ade, also a graduate from the law school in a private university in Bandung, was determined to apply the knowledge he received during the education and training program to his new job. (rms)