Police set up new desk to handle terrorist attack

Police set up new desk to handle terrorist attack

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The National Police announced on Monday that they have set up a
new directorate to handle the recent series of blasts around the
country.

Besides, the police have also undertaken a major reshuffle to
"refresh" the organization of the force.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Edward Aritonang said the
new directorate was established after police chief Gen. Da'i
Bachtiar made a decision on April 25 to reassign 32 high-ranking
officers

The antiterrorism directorate, which structurally comes under
the Criminal Investigation Department, has as its main tasks the
formulation of strategy and policy, and their implementation in
the field.

"Headquarters is responding to the challenge of rampant
terrorism by establishing a special directorate to deal with bomb
outrages," he said.

Previously, antiterrorism activities were handled by police
divisions across the country.

Sr. Comr. Pranowo, who was a member of the team investigating
the blasts in Bali, Medan and Ujung Pandang, was appointed to
lead the new directorate.

Several bombings, including those in Ujung Pandang, Medan and
in Jakarta, have occurred since the police uncovered the alleged
perpetrators of the bombings in Bali on Oct. 12 last year.

Insp. Gen. I Made Mangku Pastika will no longer lead the
investigative team for the Bali blasts. Edward said that he would
continue to act as an adviser to the team. He did not say who
would succeed Pastika as the commander of the team.

Pastika has been appointed the Bali Police chief to replace
Brig. Gen. Budi Setiawan, who will now head the police's academy
for senior officers (Sespim).

Edward said that the reshuffle was a regular reassignment of
police officers.

"The reason (for the reshuffle) is to develop a better
structure in the police and to develop the officers' careers,"
he said at his office.

Aside from the Bali Police, headquarters also reshuffled
police chiefs in North Sumatra, Yogyakarta and Lampung.

The North Sumatra Provincial Police will now be led by Brig.
Gen. Eddy Soenarno, who was previously the Jakarta Police's
deputy chief. He replaced Insp. Gen. I Dewa Ketut Gede Astika,
who has been appointed deputy chief of operational affairs.

Former Yogyakarta Police deputy chief Sr. Comr Sudirman
replaced his boss Brig. Moh. Saudi, who becomes an adviser to the
National Police chief.

The Lampung Police will now be led by Brig. Gen. Trimanto, a
former secretary of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), who
replaces Brig. Gen. Sugiri. The latter has been appointed the
chief of the Criminal Investigation Department at National Police
headquarters.