Police fail to tackle auto theft

Police fail to tackle auto theft

Evi Mariani, Jakarta

Although the Tangerang Police have had success in solving murder
and burglary cases, they have made little headway in solving auto
theft cases.

The latest monthly police report reveals that of the 34
reported cases of motorcycle and car theft between May 1 and June
7, only six arrests pertaining to four cases have been made and
two motorcycles and one car recovered. The report did not specify
the type of vehicles seized.

Most cases of street robbery also remain open, with only eight
of 17 reported cases between the same period being solved and 17
suspects, two of whom were killed when resisting arrest,
apprehended.

Most robbery suspects were armed with sharp weapons to
threaten their victims. Six used firearms.

Tangerang detectives, on the other hand, had have a 100
percent success rate in solving the two murders in the regency
during the five weeks, with suspects in both cases awaiting
trial.

Of the 25 reported cases of burglary, the police apprehended
32 suspects in 20 cases and confiscated various pieces of
evidence, such as televisions, notebook computers, consumer goods
stolen from a supermarket and a slaughtered water buffalo stolen
alive on May 5 from a buffalo trader.

Within the same period, Tangerang Police also raided 31 small
gambling dens, arrested 45 suspected den operators and players
and confiscated Rp 2.42 million (US$269), as well as two books on
interpreting dreams used by gamblers to find lucky numbers.