Police to crack down on bus crime

JAKARTA: In response to a public outcry over extortion on public buses, police said they would launch an operation to crack down on the criminals.

City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Prasetyo was quoted by BeritaJakarta.com as saying on Tuesday the police would deploy officers aboard public buses.

"We will also ask all police officers to help fight these crimes during their travels from home to work and work to home," he said.

There has been a recent increase in the number of reports of hoodlums extorting money from public bus passengers. According to the reports, many of these extortioners are recently released prisoners.

Prasetyo said the areas suffering the most from these crimes were Jl. Pramuka in Central Jakarta, the Pulo Gadung bus terminal, the Kampung Rambutan bus terminal and some areas in Bekasi, West Java. --JP