On 80th Bhayangkara Anniversary, Bamsoet Urges Police to Become More Professional and Adaptive

Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives and former Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly, Bambang Soesatyo (Bamsoet), has stated that the 80th anniversary of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) must be a crucial momentum to strengthen the force’s transformation into an institution that is increasingly professional, modern, adaptive, and trusted by the public. He noted that eight decades of Polri’s journey show that security challenges are constantly evolving, from conventional threats to cybercrime, cross-border digital fraud, human trafficking, terrorism, money laundering, and artificial intelligence-based crimes. Therefore, Polri’s transformation cannot stop at internal reforms but must deliver public services that are faster, transparent, accountable, and oriented towards the needs of the community. “The age of 80 is a phase of institutional maturity for Polri. This momentum must be utilised to accelerate the transformation towards a Precise Police force that is more professional, modern, humane, adaptive to technological developments, and increasingly trusted by the public. Public trust is the main capital for law enforcement and maintaining national stability,” Bamsoet said in a statement on Wednesday (1/7/2026). The former Speaker of the House and former Chair of House Commission III explained that national security challenges are now increasingly complex due to the rapid development of digital technology. Cybercrime modus operandi are evolving very quickly, ranging from data breaches, online investment scams, online gambling, digital identity theft, to the use of artificial intelligence to create fake content or deepfakes that have the potential to trigger social unrest. He added that these conditions require Polri to strengthen digital forensic capabilities, improve the quality of human resources, expand international cooperation, and accelerate the integration of technology into the law enforcement system. On the other hand, digital-based public services that have been developed through various police applications need to be continuously refined to be more accessible to the public. “Polri’s transformation must go hand in hand with the transformation of society. When criminals utilise cutting-edge technology, law enforcement officers must also have more advanced capabilities, tools, and systems to provide maximum protection to the public,” Bamsoet said. The Vice Chairman of the Golkar Party and Vice Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry explained that security stability also has a direct relationship with national economic growth. The investment climate will thrive if there is legal certainty, maintained security, and fair law enforcement. Indonesia, which is currently pushing for industrial downstreaming, infrastructure development, the digital economy, energy transition, and increased investment, requires a police institution capable of guaranteeing business certainty. Therefore, Polri’s role is increasingly strategic in supporting the national development agenda towards a Golden Indonesia 2045. “Security is the foundation of development. Investors need legal certainty, the public needs a sense of safety, and business actors need stability. All of this requires a Polri that is professional, responsive, and able to cooperate with all elements of the nation,” Bamsoet asserted. The Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Alumni Association of the Doctoral Programme in Law at Padjadjaran University appreciated the various reform measures that Polri has continued to undertake in recent years. Various public service innovations, the digitalisation of police administration, strengthened transparency, and increased openness to criticism are important parts of building public trust. He further noted that several surveys also show an increasing trend in public trust towards Polri. The results of the 2026 Kompas Research and Development survey recorded that the level of public trust in Polri reached approximately 82.4 percent, an increase compared to the previous period. This achievement is an important asset that must be maintained through consistent service and fair law enforcement. “Public trust is an achievement earned through hard work and must be continuously maintained and improved. A Polri that is increasingly trusted will be a unifying force, a guardian of democracy, a keeper of economic stability, and a protector of the public in facing various future challenges,” Bamsoet concluded.