Park Fence Thieves in Kampung Melayu Suspected of Memorising Patrol Patterns

Jakarta - The Jatinegara District Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) suspects the perpetrators of the theft of iron fences from a park under the Kampung Melayu flyover in East Jakarta were familiar with officer patrol patterns to facilitate their crime.

‘We conduct mobile patrols, usually around midnight. They seem to strike between one and two in the morning, so it appears they already knew the schedule,’ said Jatinegara District Satpol PP Head Teguh Nurdin Amali on Tuesday.

Teguh explained that security measures have relied on mobile patrols due to limited personnel. Each night, five to six members are deployed to monitor various local government assets in the Jatinegara area. However, this patrol pattern is believed to have been exploited by the thieves to time their actions. ‘It always happens either on a Friday or Saturday. So they seem to already know,’ Teguh stated.

He further revealed that the theft, which has been widely discussed on social media, is the second such incident. The first occurred about a month ago and was discussed with the three pillars of local leadership during a coordination meeting. In that forum, Satpol PP had proposed stationing permanent security officers from the Parks Sub-agency at the location so that surveillance would not rely solely on patrols. However, the proposal has yet to be realised, so security remains mobile.

‘For now, the priority is to tidy up the location. We will continue to secure the area during the repair process,’ Teguh said.

Meanwhile, the East Jakarta Parks and Urban Forest Agency (Tamhut) is repairing the park beneath the Kampung Melayu flyover after the iron fence facilities were stolen by irresponsible parties. ‘We are currently repairing the damaged condition of the park,’ said East Jakarta Tamhut Agency Head Dwi Ponangsera.

Dwi stated that the repairs are being carried out to maintain the park’s condition and ensure it can be used comfortably by the public. In addition to the repairs, the agency is taking anticipatory measures and coordinating with relevant parties to prevent similar incidents from recurring. ‘As a precaution, we have coordinated with the Jatinegara District Satpol PP to increase security around the location,’ Dwi said. With more optimal supervision, it is hoped that government assets in the park can be protected from theft or vandalism by irresponsible parties.