Police turn to people to counter terrorism

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.