Police Reform Commission: Polri Must Have Minimum Equipment Standards

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Commission for Accelerating Police Reform (KPRP) recommends that the Indonesian National Police (Polri) establish minimum equipment standards across all work units, from the National Police Headquarters (Mabes Polri) to police stations (Polsek).

“Well, what we are conveying here is that, at the very least, Polri must have minimum standards for equipment possessed by units at the headquarters, provincial police (Polda), district police (Polres), and even police stations,” said KPRP Secretary, retired Police General Ahmad Dofiri, during a press conference in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, on Wednesday (6/5/2026).

With these standards, the real needs of each unit can be calculated clearly, while also serving as a basis for gradual fulfilment in the future.

Based on the results of absorbing public aspirations, KPRP found several negative behaviours that still occur, such as a culture of violence, corrupt practices, excessive esprit de corps fanaticism, negative militaristic tendencies, a culture of impunity, and the practice of the “silent blue code”.

“Well, we accommodated all of this from the many public aspirations we gathered. It turns out there are indeed negative cultures or actual behaviours suspected to exist within the Polri organisation,” he said.

To address them, KPRP recommends two main steps.

“Well, this is the paradigm that needs to be strengthened. Why? Because we want the police to become civilian police. What kind of civilian police? Ones that are protagonists, embracing, humane, professional, and all the good qualities like that. That is roughly the output we want from educational institutions,” he stated.

Second, eliminating negative behaviours through improvements in managerial systems that encompass reforms in governance in the areas of personnel development and operations.

The human resources cycle is deemed necessary to be overhauled from recruitment, education, career development, to post-retirement phases.

Specifically in the recruitment stage, KPRP highlights non-transparent practices that are still complained about by the public, such as alleged fees and brokerage.

For this reason, the commission recommends the elimination of special pathways and the formation of a selection committee involving external parties.

In addition, test results are suggested to be announced quickly or on a one-day service basis, and the entire process made transparent through an online system to prevent manipulation.

Meanwhile, in career development, KPRP emphasises the importance of a merit-based system, such as track records, clear career paths, and talent pools, to prevent the practice of buying and selling positions.

KPRP assesses that improving governance is the key to comprehensive police reform.