Police gears up for Idul Fitri

Police gears up for Idul Fitri

JAKARTA (JP): City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Dibyo Widodo
yesterday inaugurated 5,489 troops and security personnel
assigned to maintain order and security in the city during the
Idul Fitri festivities and on the days leading up to the major
Moslem holidays.

The bulk of the troops, who gathered in a roll call at the
Senayan eastern parking lot in Central Jakarta, are from the
Armed Forces and the police, the rest are civilian officials from
the city's Land Transportation Control Agency (DLLAJ) and the
Transportation Department.

They are assigned to a special operation code named Operasi
Ketupat beginning yesterday and extending through March 3.

Dibyo briefed the troops telling them that they should be able
to identify as quickly as possible any occurrences that have the
potential to degenerate into serious and widespread incidents,
disturbing people celebrating Idul Fitri which falls on Feb. 20
and 21.

"You all should be constantly watchful and on the alert for
possible disturbances. You must do your best to nip these
disturbances in the bud," the two-star police general told the
troops.

The troops will be posted at crowded public places, including,
bus terminals, railway stations, airports, seaports and mosques.

Some of them will also be posted at important state-owned and
privately owned companies.

Similar operations will be carried out throughout the country.
The national police will mobilize two-thirds of its total number
of officers, another city top police officer Brig. Gen. Ismeth
told reporters yesterday.

"The main objective of such operations is to serve and protect
the public, in this case the Idul Fitri revelers, as well as to
prevent any untoward incidents which could mar the greatness of
the holidays," Ismeth said.

The troops are also assigned to help traffic police officers
direct the flow of traffic which is expected to be heavy during
the holidays. (bsr/bas)