Police need extra money for security

JAKARTA (JP): In the wake of the numerous bombings across the nation, National Police Chief Gen. Suroyo Bimantoro said on Tuesday that the police needed an extra Rp 346 billion (US$36 million) to purchase high-tech security instruments to detect explosives and drugs.

Legislator Amin Arjoso said that Bimantoro made the request in a closed-door meeting with House of Representatives Commission II for domestic and legal affairs on Tuesday evening.

"He (Bimantoro) said that with the increasing terrorist acts, the nation badly needs these bomb and explosives detectors," Amin told reporters after the meeting.

The equipment, Amin said, included several Barringer Ionscan Model 400B units, which can detect and identify trace amounts of explosives or drugs.

He also said that the budget allocation for the National Police in the year 2001, amounting to Rp 3.2 trillion, was not enough to buy the devices.

Police sources said the National Police plan to buy 10 Model 400B units at a cost of about Rp 1.2 billion each. The units will be distributed to provincial police nationwide.

Amin added that Bimantoro had also asked for additional funds for the purchase of two CN 235 airplanes, a ship and three Russian-made M1 helicopters to improve its capabilities to conduct operations in remote inaccessible areas.

A wave of bombings shocked the country last year, with the latest on Christmas Eve claiming 18 lives nationwide. (ylt)