Police form rapid reaction sleuth team
Police form rapid reaction sleuth team
By K. Basrie
JAKARTA (JP): Despite a lack of funds and personnel, city police are still committed to providing better services to the public.
The establishment of a special team of talented detectives, known as rapid reaction unit or Unit Reaksi Cepat could be cited as an example.
Presently, the team has 28 well-trained officers, consisting of four lieutenants and 24 sergeants from the crime investigation directorate.
They are divided into four groups. Each group is provided with a Mazda VanTrend station wagon supplied with portable steps, extra-large axe, pliers, megaphone, public-address system, map, walkie-talkie, medical kit, fire extinguisher, generator, police line, a bag of standard identification items, camera and rope.
Another vehicle for the crime lab team is available to support the unit.
Sixteen motorcycles are also ready to back them up, especially during peak hours when most streets are heavily congested.
Assigned only for extreme emergencies, the unit is on-alert 24 hour a day.
"They are supposed to be the first officers to arrive at the scene of a crime. They must prohibit anyone from disturbing the site until investigation and medical treatment are completed," the team supervisor, Lt. Col Edi Darnadi, said.
Each detective, most of whom are uniformed, are equipped with guns, batons, handcuffs and radio beepers.
The well-equipped officers patrol areas considered crime infested.
Maj. Gen. Dibyo Widodo supervises the special budget set aside for the unit's daily operational costs, including meal allowances for the personnel.
Eight police precincts under the auspice of Greater Jakarta Police have set up similar teams to support the unit.
Police departments in other provinces may follow Jakarta in their efforts to reduce crime in their areas.
"We simply want to do our best for the public so that they will feel secure," City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Dibyo Widodo told The Jakarta Post recently. He is the man behind the founding of the team.
The team, officially set up on Nov. 1, has proved their professionalism in a recent cases, including the solving of a rape and murder case in a hotel in Central Jakarta and the murder of Rohadi's family in East Jakarta.
These cases were handled more professionally than those of last year's when there was substantial weaknesses in detectives' initial handling of the scene of crime.
Among last year's unsolved cases is the death of a six-year- old girl, Levina Dwisy, whose body was found in Ancol dreamland, North Jakarta in March.
The main problem was that the scene of crime had been improperly handled and the scientific evidence was destroyed.
Lt. Col Edi Darnadi said the professional treatment of evidence at crime scenes helps scientific investigations.
The team, which was established also to improve the police's image with the public, is expected to be helpful to the Greater Jakarta Metropolitan police in solving as many crimes as soon as possible.
"People who need help can dial 390 2222 and ask for radio beeper 17000," Edi said.