Police shoot dead two street criminals

JAKARTA (JP): Intensified police measures to combat suspected criminals -- 12 hoodlums have been shot this year already -- has failed to curtail street criminal activity.

City police are inundated with scores of accounts of street robberies and extortions every day.

In separate incidents on Wednesday evening and Thursday, city police detectives shot two more alleged street criminals after they were spotted engaging in criminal activity with their accomplices.

Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis reported that officers at both scenes shot the suspects only after they resisted arrest and assaulted police.

"They ignored our men's warning shots," he said.

Thursday's victim, identified as Endang, alias Iyon, 35, was shot at around 4:30 a.m. in the Jembatan Besi area, Velbak of Tambora, West Jakarta.

He died of a shot wound to his chest. He was also shot in the hand.

Iyon and his three accomplices were spotted by police officers robbing a passerby.

"Police shot him when he tried to flee and threatened police with a sharp weapon," Lubis said.

Iyon's three accomplices have been identified but remain at large.

Wednesday's incident involved Wawan, alias Awang, 24, who was shot in Teluk Gong, Penjaringan in North Jakarta, at around 9 p.m.

Officer Lubis said that Awang and two friends were seen by a plainclothes officer threatening a female motorist with a sharp weapon at a traffic light.

"The three surrounded the motorist, Lili Liana, and demanded valuables."

A warning shot was fired after the plainclothes officers heard Lili scream for help when one of the gang snatched her necklace.

The shot prompted the three suspects to sprint in different directions. Awang was then shot dead, Lubis said.

The bodies were taken to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, where they were to have postmortem examinations, and then released to their respective families for burial.

Hospital staff said the families had refused permission for the hospital to perform postmortem examinations on the bodies of the two men.

Their deaths are a reminder of a worrying spate of violent crimes in the city.

Many Jakartans consider the current rash of street crimes the worst in the capital's history.

Despite a police operation to net suspected criminals and hoodlums, the number of street crimes continues to rise.

When apprehended, most suspects blamed the continuing economic crisis as the major cause for their criminal involvement. (emf/ivy/bsr)