Police commission urgently needed to curb abuses: Expert

The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

A police expert urged the government on Saturday to establish the planned National Police Commission (KKN) immediately to allow the public at large to have a say in the work of the police and thus minimize abuses by police personnel.

Jusuf, an expert adviser to the National Resilience Institute (Lemhanas)'s governor Ermaya Suradinata, said that to date now the public had no way of monitoring the performance of the police, which resulted in unchecked violations and abuses.

"Police officers are civilians in uniforms. Therefore, if they violate the law, they must be punished according to the prevailing rules," Jusuf said in his doctoral dissertation titled "Detection and Investigation: A Study on the Interpretation and Application of Investigative Procedures in Criminal Cases."

With his dissertation, which was awarded a cum laude citation, Jusuf became the first Indonesian to earn a doctoral degree in police science studies at the University of Indonesia.

Law No. 2/2002 on the police calls for the establishment of an independent commission whose tasks would include making recommendations on police promotions and transfers, and receiving complaints from the public about the performance of police personnel.

However, the commission has not yet been established even though the legislation was enacted two years ago.

Jusuf pointed out that the commission would at least minimize the number of human rights violations perpetrated by the police, and incidents such as the recent Bojong case when officers attacked residents who were protesting against the testing of a new waster processing facility.

Detectives, according to Jusuf, have different understandings and definitions regarding the handling of criminal cases, investigative procedures, the law, police bureaucracy and their social environment.

In his thesis, Jusuf also brought up current issues such as rampant corruption in the police and the excessive use of force by officers.

He pointed to two elements -- low wages and lack of benefits and facilities -- that helped implant corruption among police officers. He urged the government to resolve these problems.

"To eradicate corruption among police officers, the government should help by increasing the salaries of officers so as to avoid them being tempted to take bribes," Jusuf said.

However, police too had work to do if reform was to be possible.

"It will take a commitment from each police officer to the concept that his duty is to serve and to protect the public.

"Right now, there are many younger police officers who have master's degrees or doctorates who will hopefully pay more attention to the importance of the public than the police institution itself," Jusuf said.

Deputy National Police chief Adang Dorodjatun said that he was impressed with the advice given to the police by Jusuf in his study.

"I think this is positive advice that we must take on board. It will help the police institute reform and be better able to serve the public," Adang said.