Police to beef up patrols to reduce street crime

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The police acknowledged their failure to curb the rising crime rate in the capital but vowed to boost efforts to limit the increase in street crime.

"Crime is on the increase but we are intensifying our efforts to deal with the problem," city police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

He said the police were stepping up the use of patrol cars to deter criminals.

"We now use 364 patrol cars, equipped with flashing lights, round the clock across the city. We hope their presence will dissuade criminals from committing offenses," Anton said.

The police stated earlier that they planned to procure 500 patrol cars this year to combat street crime. Those patrol cars will be equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, which enables the police operations center to monitor and contact every patrol car wherever and whenever needed.

Unfortunately, Anton acknowledged that only a few cars had been equipped with GPS due to financial constraints.

Anton also said that in July, the police opened their emergency call center, 112 which operates round the clock to receive calls from the public so that the police can provide a quicker response to any requests for assistance.

The establishment of an emergency call service will also help promote public participation in improving security in the city.

At the same time, the police also launched their radio station, Suara Metro on 91.1 Mhz FM, which informs the public about the latest security situation in the city as well as entertaining them with songs and music.

Besides, Anton said, the police have also deployed more officers in plain clothes at locations known to be prone to street crime.

"That's one effective way of catching criminals red-handed, such that we can arrest them along with the evidence necessary to take them to court," Anton said.

Wira, a first-year university student who resides in Kota, West Jakarta, concurred with Anton, saying that a police presence in the streets was reassuring for the public.

"At least a criminal would think twice, upon seeing an on-duty police officer, before committing any offense," Wira said.

While complaining about the apparent lack of police officers on patrol, he suggested the public be vigilant and set up their own neighborhood watch.

"There are very few such schemes in operation, which means that people become easy prey for criminals," Wira said.

He added that he had recently witnessed a bajaj (motorized pedicab) passenger being mugged in a traffic jam.

"However, nobody, myself included, dared to help the victim by confronting the thieves," Wira said.

Meanwhile, Sunarto, 50, a resident of Cengkareng, West Jakarta, contended that any attempt to uphold security in the city would be futile if the police failed to perform their tasks with genuine commitment.

"Quite often, detained robbers, thieves, or extortion suspects can walk free after bribing corrupt police officers," he said.

Sunarto, who works as a debt collector for a trader in agricultural produce, said he was often too scared to carry a large amount of cash paid by the customers of his boss.

"I'm afraid of armed robbers who would not hesitate to injure their victims," Sunarto said.

Crime-infested areas

South Jakarta: Jl. Casablanca Tebet, Jl. Rasuna Said Setia Budi.

West Jakarta: Cengkareng intersection, Grogol intersection, Tomang intersection, Jembatan Batu intersection, Jembatan Besi intersection, Jl. Latumenten, Pasar Pagi.

North Jakarta: Tanjung Priok bus terminal, Muara Karang Raya, Jl. Pegangsaan Dua, Jl. Karya in front of Tugu Hospital, Jl. Plumpang Raya, Jl. Simpang Lima Semper, Jl. Jembatan Tiga, Jl. Cacing, Martadinata intersection.

Central Jakarta: Senen bus terminal and market, Tanah Abang bus terminal and market, Jl. Let. Jend. Suprapto, Galur intersection, Tanah Tinggi Empat intersection, railway lines in front of Roxy Mas, Coca Cola intersection, bemo (three-wheeled motorized minibus) station in Duri Pulo, Gate 3 Jakarta Fairground, Gambir railway station, Mangga Besar railway station, Jl. Gunung Sahari, Armabar T- junction, Jl. Mangga Besar, Jl. Thamrin in front of Sarinah, National Park Monument (Monas), Jl. Hasyim Ashari, Jl. Benyamin S, Jl. Bungur Besar.

East Jakarta: Kampung Melayu bus terminal, Jl. Jatinegara Barat, Jl. Pramuka Raya, Pulo Gadung bus terminal, Matraman Raya intersection, Coca Cola intersection, Rawasari intersection, Pondok Bambu intersection.