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)