Police predict security will deteriorate next year

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

High number of offenses are likely tarnish security in the capital next year partly due to worsening impact of the economic crisis, a senior police officer said on Friday.

Jakarta Police Chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara remarked that prolonged economic crisis might prompt the people to do crimes to make a living, which in turn raised the crime level in 2002.

"Police may face heavier tasks next year to clamp down on offenses in the capital as long as our economy have not yet recovered," Makbul told reporters in his year-end press conference.

Makbul attributed the grim outlook to the higher crime level this year as compared to last year.

Robberies rose by 36 percent to 6,453 this year from 4,753 last year, he said.

Of the 2001 robberies, some 45 robberies targeted bank customers, Makbul said, adding that the armed robberies to bank customers had claimed one life from the police personnel, Brig. Chief. Slamet Riyanto.

The stealing of car and motorcycle recorded the most significant increase as it rose by 100 percent to 6,046 cases this year from only 2,971 in the previous year.

"We acknowledge that police find it difficult to address the crime," he said, citing that the police only managed to capture 49 suspects and confiscate 170 unit cars and motorcycles.

Makbul also reported that drugs-related offenses rose by 22 percent to 1,724 cases in 2001 from 1402 in 2000.

Police arrested some 445 drug dealers and confiscated 3.1 kilogram heroin, 3.5 ton marijuana, 27,000 ecstasy pills, and 262 kilogram Shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine).

He admitted that some 24 police officers were involved in the drugs-related crimes, saying that they were now undergoing rehabilitation process.

Some 424 police officers were punished for breaking the police disciplines, Makbul unveiled, without elaborating what punishments had been imposed to them.

Makbul also said the police managed to reveal 269 gambling cases this year, a 35 percent increase from last year's 114.