Police to separate from defense ministry
Police to separate from defense ministry
JAKARTA (JP): The National Police will remain a nationwide
institution despite the implementation of regional autonomy,
which started on Monday.
"Police authority will not be delegated to provincial
administration despite the inception of regional autonomy,"
National Police Chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro said on the sidelines
of a New Year celebration in the early hours of Monday morning.
His remarks came in connection with the separation of the
National Police from the Ministry of Defense, effective Jan. 1.
From now on it falls directly under the President's supervision,
as stipulated in Presidential Decree No. 89/2000 on the Structure
of the Indonesian National Police.
The status caps the two-year transition period which was
initiated by the changes in the Indonesian Military (TNI). The
military has had its function reduced to defense only.
Bimantoro also disclosed a plan to modify the police ranks
terminology and insignia as part of the separation program.
The new rank for senior superintendent will be changed into
police high commissioner and superintendent will become adjutant
to the police high Commissioner, while assistant superintendent
is now commissioner.
Senior inspector will be adjutant to commissioner, while chief
sergeant will be called adjutant to inspector. First sergeant
will be brigadier while second sergeant will be called private.
Several ranks will be omitted in the new structure, including
first and second adjutants, sergeant major and corporal.
Bimantoro did not elaborate when the new ranks will take
effect and the impact of the changes since many officers will
likely lose their rank echelon as a result of the omission of
several ranks.
Among the significant changes is that police will have full
authority in national security matters, an officer who is working
on the revision of Law 28/1997 on National Police told The
Jakarta Post.
When asked whether police officers who committed crimes would
be prosecuted in the Military Court since they are already
separated from the military, Bimantoro said it would depend on
the amendment to the police law. (lup/edt)