'Police are involved in the scandal'

'Police are involved in the scandal'

The police have blamed easily obtained police and military
uniforms and badges and a lack of regulation governing the trade
on the emergence of bogus police officers extorting people around
the city. Some city residents said there were cause-and-effect
relationships between the apparently phony officers and the
unregulated uniform sales. The Jakarta Post talked to them and
here are their responses:

Wijoseno, 29, is a resident of Kampung Ambon in East Jakarta.
He lives there with his family:

I have never experienced nor met bogus police officers. I
don't know much about them, or even if they exist.

I have a relative who works as a debt collector. He is well-
built and always wears military-style garb including the standard
green T-shirt and boots. The way he behaves sometimes, people
think he must be a police or military officer. Is he considered
as bogus?

Well, if people think he is, I think we cannot just blame him
for it. He performs that way because they are his only role
model, namely the real police or military officers. His attitudes
resemble those officers because of that.

Besides, he is like any of us who can easily obtain police or
military clothing and accessories in the market. There is no
regulation banning the sale of such things, despite the risks.

Of course, the existing free market for the uniforms could
further serve to tarnish the image of the police, which has been
deteriorating for a long time. Civilians can afford the
authentic-quality uniforms if they negotiate well. I have even
bought a bag specifically produced for the military.

Abas, not his real name, 33, is a police officer at the City
Police Headquarters. He resides in Tebet, South Jakarta with his
wife and two children:

I reckon that bogus police officers sometimes derived from a
term so-called 'bodreks (bogus)' in which a real police officer
accompanied by some civilians who resort to illegal confiscation
or extortion. Usually, the civilians are the overacting ones who
used to work jointly with the police as informants.

Perhaps there is a conspiracy between undisciplined and
disloyal police officers and the bogus ones. When the fraudsters
tried to raid a gambling den, for instance, they could perform as
if doing it all legally. Realistically, only trained police
officers know the exact confiscation procedures and techniques.
The question is, who has taught those fraudsters or civilians the
police procedures?

Worse still, there are more and more police officers who have
deserted or been dishonorably discharged, for undisciplined
behavior or attitudes. The well-trained deserters have the
potential to resort to crime, but let's not forget, there are
many many real police officers who also abuse the regulations.

In many ways, I know that police officers behave just like
thugs who extort money from the civilians. We can see those who
always stop and extort trucks drivers on the toll roads.

It's very difficult to arrest the fraudsters as they usually
operate at different police precincts' and, in case, they were
under arrest they would admit that they come from a certain
police station which in fact is not true. For instance, they
operate in Bogor, West Java, but they name themselves on behalf
of the city police headquarters in Jakarta.

I don't blame the vendors selling the military uniforms at the
ordinary markets because they have been doing so for a long time.
However, it would be better for the vendors to be more selective
with their buyers. They should be required to ask for military or
police ID cards to differentiate the civilians and the officers
to prevent any irregularities.

Actually, I wonder why such goods are freely sold on the
market anyway. Who has put them on the market? I think that's the
issue.

Perhaps the commanders or high-ranking officers should think
over the matter. Otherwise, rampant abuse by bogus officers will
taint the police's reputation in general.

Popi, not her real name, 29, is a housewife residing in
Cakung, East Jakarta with her family:

I'm of the opinion that it would be better to ban the public
sales of police or military uniforms in an attempt to prevent the
presence of bogus police officers. The free market here has given
bad people an opportunity to resort to crime.

I personally don't blame the vendors who sell those goods.
They are ordinary vendors who earn money for their living just
like other vendors.

I guess the police should check their own supply department
which is the only one authorized to sell the stuff. Internally,
the police must find the officers responsible for the leakage in
such a way that those goods are sold outside the police
authority. It seems that high-ranking officers are involved in
the scandal.

I think there is a positive correlation between the existing
bogus police officers and the unregulated sale of police uniforms
in the market.

But the internal verification would, at least, minimize the
worsening fraud that threatens the public security.