Police turn to people to counter terrorism

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

City police have distributed at least 100,000 leaflets bearing the faces of suspected terrorists across the capital as part of efforts to engage the public in the fight against terrorism.

They have also met with community and neighborhood heads in the city to discuss ways to secure their areas from possible terror attacks and robberies around the Idul Fitri celebrations.

"We are trying to involve the public in preventing terror attacks in the city. By raising their awareness, we hope they can help us prevent crimes, including bomb attacks, from taking place. Police will work with them closely," Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani said after launching operations to secure the mudik (annual exodus).

Firman said each police sub-precinct chief had met with community and neighborhood heads in their respective areas, while precinct chiefs met with influential clerics in their jurisdiction.

Raising awareness among community and neighborhood chiefs was important because they were supposed to be the first to detect suspicious people, Firman said.

Police have repeatedly said that many suicide bombers had rented rooms in Jakarta's residential areas and advised residents and landlords to be aware of suspicious new neighbors or tenants.

Malaysian terror fugitives Azahari bin Husin and Noordin Moh. Top are believed to have once rented a room in slum areas in Tangerang and in Kuningan, South Jakarta, ahead of the Sept. 9 bomb attack in front of the Australian Embassy that killed 10 people last year.

Firman said police were still on high alert after suicide bomb attacks destroyed two cafes and a restaurant in Jimbaran and Kuta, Bali, on Oct. 1, killing 22 people and injuring more than 130.

Firman reiterated that Detachment 88, the police special counterterror squad, had information that there was a high possibility of further bomb attacks during Idul Fitri.

"For Idul Fitri, we have increased the number of stations to 30 to monitor entrance and exit routes to the city," he said.

He also said that police would station bomb squads at 18 locations, where the exodus was centered, including in airports, bus terminals, seaports and railway station to anticipate possible attacks.

Idul Fitri ends the fasting month and falls on Nov. 3 and 4. Some 2.5 million Jakarta residents are expected to leave for their hometowns to celebrate the festivities there.

Police have also stepped up security measures at several embassies, office buildings, hotels, malls, and recreation centers to anticipate bombs ahead of Idul Fitri.

Police have doubled regular officers, detectives, and counterterror agents stationed at the U.S, British, and Australian embassies, while more personnel were also deployed in hotels, malls and recreation centers, including Ancol in North Jakarta, and Taman Mini in East Jakarta.