Police say no charge to report stolen car, public beg to differ
Police say no charge to report stolen car, public beg to differ
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Though residents say different, the Jakarta Police claim
reporting a stolen vehicle is free of charge, quick and
convenient.
City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said on Monday all
owners had to do was report the theft of their vehicle to the
nearest police station.
"A police officer on duty will ask the vehicle owner some
questions and will also question at least two witnesses at the
crime scene," he said.
The officer will give the owner a copy of the report, which
the owner then brings to Jakarta Police Headquarters to obtain
two official letters on the theft and an order to freeze the
vehicle's registration number.
"The documents are issued by the city police's directorate of
general crime," Tjiptono said.
While that may be the official process, many residents have
complained about having to pay "bribes" to report their cars
stolen.
Indonesian Police Watch executive Rashid Lubis said his
organization had received complaints about fees being charged for
supposedly free police services.
He said the fee to report a motorcycle stolen was between Rp
500,000 (US$55.56) and Rp 1 million, while for a car that figure
could be as high as Rp 5 million. Obtaining an order to freeze a
vehicle's registration number cost extra, he added.
Vehicle owners must obtain official documents from the police
before they can file a claim with their insurance company if
their vehicles are stolen.
An employee with an insurance company, who refused to be
identified, said that generally the minimum cost for obtaining
the three documents -- a copy of the initial report, the official
letter on the theft and the registration number freeze -- was
about 10 percent of a vehicle's value.
"But many of my clients must pay up to 30 percent of the value
of their cars," he said.
"I guess the police are taking advantage of the fact that
people must submit these three documents. They think the people
do not lose much because at the end of the day the car will be
replaced," he said.
Police Watch said car owners were often able to get back their
stolen cars at a price, usually 25 percent of the value of the
vehicle.
Tjiptono said if such things were taking place, the public
should report the dirty cops to internal affairs.
However, Police Watch said the practice of charging the public
for this supposedly free police service was so ingrained it had
become part of the system.
"Money from the paperwork for reporting stolen vehicles is one
of the sources of extra income for the police," Lubis said.