Police to introduce brand-new insignia

Police to introduce brand-new insignia

JAKARTA (JP): Just three days after introducing the use of new
rank terminology, the National Police announced on Monday their
plan to change the corps insignia starting from January 2001.

Head of general information unit at the National Police
Headquarters, Sr. Supt. (formerly known as Col.) Saleh Saaf, told
The Jakarta Post that his office was still formulating the new
symbols of police ranks.

"But they'll be based on the universal standard," Saleh said.

Currently, the insignia of the Indonesian Police ranks is
almost similar to corresponding military officers: yellow stars
(general level), yellow jasmine flowers (superintendent level),
yellow bars (inspector level), yellow chevrons (sergeants) and
red chevrons and bars (private level).

In marking the force's 54th anniversary last Saturday, the
police started the use of the new rank terminology.

According to Saleh, the new terminology is used in many
countries.

"It's (also) the universal standard," Saleh said, but could
not give further explanation.

His superior, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Dadang
Garnida, earlier said the adoption of the new terminology would
eliminate difficulties faced by the National Police in
communicating with their counterparts from foreign countries.

However, the police, which will be directly under the
supervision of the President from Jan. 1 next year, still use
several militaristic terms in the new titles, which have not been
adopted by police departments abroad.

The new list of the terms distributed last Saturday also
differs from the terminology announced earlier by Dadang, who
said that police generals, for example, would be called
commissioners.

But critics have said that the new rank terminology should be
followed with a significant change in the quality of police
services. (08)