'Police discriminative in handling cases'
Police are currently under the spotlight for their investigations into the shooting of a businessman and his bodyguard and the serial kidnappings in Jakarta and West Java. Both cases reflect the difference in how police view "big" and "petty" cases. Several lawyers shared their views on how the police are handling the cases with The Jakarta Post.
Hendardi, 45, is the director of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association. He lives in Cipete, South Jakarta, with his wife and two children:
I think the police perform well only when there is a lot of public attention on the cases they are handling.
In the shooting case of a businessman and his bodyguard, police began to give serious attention to the investigation only after public pressure.
Why were they not able to anticipate the likelihood of another shooting after another director of the same company was shot in a public place only a month ago?
I also reckon that money, in a way, motivates the police to work well. It is undeniable that money and power greatly influence police performance. They give attention to a case depending on the money.
It's obvious that police only work well for rich people and give the opposite quality of service for the poor.
I suggest the public and the media cooperate in exposing cases involving victims among the lower-income groups. I'm sure such pressure will encourage the police to perform better.
Muhammad Asrun, 43, is the chairman of Judicial Watch in Central Jakarta. He resides in Rawamangun, East Jakarta with his wife and three children:
Law enforcement depends greatly on the social status of the victims. It's not surprising that the shooting of a prominent businessman and his bodyguard has drawn police attention.
On the other hand, the abduction cases, which also claimed lives, seem to have been ignored because they did not involve important people.
The police would not follow up the (kidnapping) cases. They are discriminative.
It would be different if, for instance, Gus Dur's grandchildren were kidnapped. I'm sure police would be responsive and investigate the case.
Police still need to be pressured by prominent people. The greater the pressure, the faster police will solve the case.
I understand that police have a limited budget to conduct thorough investigations. Public pressure and money are dominant factors to force the police to solve criminal cases.
In my opinion, the police are not professional. They don't respond quickly to common people's reports on criminal cases.
To serve and protect the public remain mere cliches due to their unprofessional performance.
Rita Olivia, 29, is a public attorney with the Trade Union Rights Center in Central Jakarta. She lives in Pondok Gede, East Jakarta with her family:
Police performance is dependent on public attention. They seem to work effectively when they are under pressure from the public.
They are now working seriously to nab the suspects of the shooting of a businessman and his bodyguard because the media has given the case exposure.
Likewise in the Bali bombing case which claimed hundreds of lives the police were pressured not only by locals but also from the international community.
Police tend to pay less attention to cases which are not covered by the media. Perhaps, the reports on the kidnapping are not as many as the shootings. That's why they are not under pressure.
It is undeniable that money is also an important factor.
I still believe that the police have the capacity to handle any criminal cases.
-- Leo Wahyudi S.