Police release thugs for cash

This is the fourth of a series of articles on thuggery and joint efforts by the city administration, police and military to stamp out the social evil from the capital.

Abdul Khalik The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

First Sgt. Suparjo, a police officer at a Central Jakarta subprecinct, shook his head in confusion at dozens of thugs crowding the subprecinct's detention center.

"We just arrested over 30 more people and our detention center just can't accommodate them. If they have to stay longer, we don't know how we'll feed them," he told The Jakarta Post recently about the increasing number of thugs arrested in the operation.

Since the operation was launched early this month, thousands of hoodlums have been arrested. However, police now face the added problem of where to detain them as most police detention centers in the capital are full.

Suparjo said that some detainees had been arrested because they did not have an ID, while others possessed sharp weapons.

He had no idea what to do with the detained thugs as he had received no clear instruction on what to do after apprehending them.

"Actually, we should start on their case files to submit to the prosecutor's office. But that would require a lot of time and energy," he said.

The subprecinct is just one of the police stations in the capital holding many alleged thugs.

The operation was launched early this month after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered National Police chief Gen. Sutanto and provincial administrations across the country to crack down on thuggery.

The President had reportedly received numerous complaints about thuggery in the capital and across the country through SMS.

An officer at city police headquarters who asked not to be identified said that many officers at subprecinct, precinct and city police headquarters had chosen to release arrested thugs for cash.

"Of course, many officers get additional income by letting the thugs go. Families of those arrested are happy to pay any (amount demanded by police). That solves the problem of too many people in detention centers," he told the Post.

The officer said that they would rearrest any of those released if they reoffend.

Noted University of Indonesia criminologist Adrianus Meliala criticized the police's lack of comprehensive planning and measures in cracking down on thuggery in the capital.

"What is the objective of the operation? If it is just an effort to satisfy the public in the short term then that is fine. But if it aims at eradicating thuggery then it will be ineffective unless other agencies take an active part," he said.

Adrianus said that many agencies, including the agency for social affairs and each municipality, should take part as police could not do much to deal with social problems like thuggery.

"All along, the police have fought alone. Remember, thuggery requires social approaches, not only a legal approach. And police are law enforcers. So, the agency for social affairs should take part and provide funds for the operation," he told the Post.

Adrianus expressed concern that the city administration had done nothing when Rp 900 billion was set aside to eradicate thuggery several years ago.