Police lay down the law to promote public discipline

Police lay down the law to promote public discipline

In a last-ditch effort to address traffic problems in the
city, the Jakarta Police Traffic Division recently launched a
campaign to promote discipline among drivers.

"We are intensifying our monitoring of areas prone to traffic
congestion, accidents and traffic violations, including the
misuse of streets for illegal racing," said division chief Sr.
Comr. Sulistyo Ishak.

He said every police subprecinct had been instructed to
oversee concerned locations in their areas, while the Jakarta
Police Headquarters will provide backup as necessary.

Jakarta has 101 police subprecincts in total, including those
in the outlying areas of Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi.

"If we cannot solve the traffic woes at least we can help
alleviate the problem.

"Our main objective is to promote public awareness of the need
to comply with traffic regulations," Sulistyo said.

The public, however, generally gives a cold shoulder to any
efforts by the police to address traffic woes. And it is common
knowledge that corrupt police officers take advantage of this
situation.

"We have seen police officers who are supposed to enforce the
traffic rules and set an example to the public intentionally
breach the regulations," said Farida, 39, a resident of
Cengkareng, West Jakarta.

Another resident, 40-year-old Rois of Bekasi, said: "Just wait
and see how the regulations are implemented on the streets. Why
should I abide by traffic regulations if I can ignore them and
bribe corrupt police officers for just Rp 10,000?"

Sulistyo excused the practice of officers soliciting a "fee"
to settle traffic tickets, saying police officers were just
supplementing their meager salaries.

Officers, he said, only receive Rp 500 for each ticket they
issue. And a traffic violator may have to pay between Rp 150,000
and Rp 500,000 in fines for each ticket.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara
acknowledged that his officers often did a poor job.

"But it is the public's duty to reprimand us when we do
something wrong, right?" he said.

Some tips if you are ticketed by a police officer

1. Don't panic
2. Pull your vehicle over to a safe location on the side of the
road
3. Have your driver's license and car registration documents
ready to show the officer
4. Identify the name and rank of the officer. Don't stop unless
the officer is wearing a uniform and can show you an official
ID
5. Ask the officer what traffic regulation you violated and the
size of the fine. Ask to see for yourself the list of traffic
regulations, which the officer should have with him
6. Check whether the charge against you is right or wrong. If
wrong, convey your objections politely and don't sign the ticket.
Receive the ticket as a summons to appear at a trial. Record the
incident chronologically so you can defend yourself before the
judge
7. If the charge is correct, ask when and where you must pay the
fine and where you can recover your documents or car if they have
been confiscated
8. Don't hesitate to ask about anything you aren't sure of,
including if you find something wrong with the ticket
9. Report officers who fail to follow the required procedures.
You can contact the Police Public Affairs Division at (021)
5234017 or 5709250 for further information
10. Never try to bribe an officer as you could be charged with
attempting to bribe a civil servant

Source: Indonesian Transparency Society (MTI)