Police commission urgently needed to curb abuses: Expert
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.
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.