Police say street crime becoming more widespread
Police say street crime becoming more widespread
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
City police said on Monday that street crime, or crimes targeting
people on the street, have been on the rise amid heightened
security measures carried out by residents of housing complexes.
"Intensive patrolling in housing complexes, backed up by
patrol policemen, has deterred criminals and changed their
targeted victims to people on the street," said city police
spokesman Sr. Comr. Prasetyo.
He referred to several locations and public buses that were
prone to robbery, including Cempaka Putih intersection, Central
Jakarta; Pramuka intersection, East Jakarta; and public buses
plying the Senen to Pulogadung, Pulogadung to Kampung Rambutan
and Tanjung Priok to Grogol routes.
Prasetyo said that police had arrested a total of 76 robbery
suspects and shot dead four of them in a 10-day operation code-
named Curas Jaya 2003.
"Most of the suspects are members of robbery syndicates who
targeted people on the street and passengers aboard public
transportation vehicles," he said.
Eighteen of the suspects were on the police wanted list while
the remaining 58 had been captured red-handed by police
detectives.
"One of the robbery suspects had even attempted to rob a
policeman in plainclothes," Prasetyo said.
The greatest number of arrests was made by East Jakarta
Police, with 12 people apprehended.
The operation, which was carried out from Dec. 1 through Dec.
10, was also aimed at ensuring security in the capital ahead of
Christmas and New Year celebrations, he said.
Late on Sunday, Antarida Napitupulu, 33, a resident of Jl.
Cempaka Baru Tengah II, Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, was robbed by
an unidentified man aboard a public minibus on Jl. Kramat Bundar,
Senen, Central Jakarta.
The robber threatened her with a broken glass bottle, grabbed
her bag and fled the scene. The robber managed to get away with
only Rp 80,000 (US$9.4) in cash and two cell phones.
Despite police claims that many robbers have changed the focus
of their attention to people on the street, robbery in
residential areas still occurred on Sunday and Monday.
Early on Monday, a group of 10 people robbed the home of
Marca, 52, who is also an owner of a small beverage factory, in
Buaran, Serpong, Tangerang.
They threatened members of the family with three pistols and
iron bars and stole Rp 58 million in cash.
On Sunday evening, Ing Tefa, 63, a resident of Jl. Regency II,
Gelam Jaya, Pasar Kemis, Tangerang, was also robbed by an
unidentified man in her home. As she put up resistance, the
robber attacked her with a machete. She suffered injuries to her
neck, jaws, nose, lips and left forearm.
Every day, up to four robberies are reported to the police.
Robbery is the third-most recorded offense in the city after auto
theft and burglary.