Police's record is 'still poor'
Police's record is 'still poor'
Evi Mariani and Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
After 55 years of service, the prestigious Jakarta Police are
still deemed a disappointment by taxpayers, who pointed to
unresolved crimes and chaotic traffic management on Monday.
Around 18 million residents rely on this institution to
provide security in the Greater Jakarta area of Jakarta, Bekasi,
Tangerang and Depok. And for tourists and would-be investors,
security in Jakarta is one of the issues that contributes to
first impressions about the vast country.
"We conducted a simple survey two months ago, asking people's
opinion on the performance of the city police," Indonesian Police
Watch chairman Rashid Lubis told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
"Most of them responded by saying that police services are
getting worse."
Education, an expert said, is sorely lacking among police
personnel who most need it "to protect and to serve".
Yusuf, a professor with the post-graduate program for police
studies at the University of Indonesia, said education for low-
ranking officers was urgent.
"Education for low-ranking officers is very important because
they are the frontline of the force who are directly involved
with the public," he said on Sunday.
"With proper education, we hope the officers will not be
involved in saddening, violent acts such as what happened
recently at the Bojong waste processing facility (in Bogor
regency) where they shot protesters," he added.
Yusuf, who had studied detectives' behavior in Surabaya, East
Jakarta, pointed out that so far only 20 percent of detectives
have received proper education.
He advised the police to immediately establish the National
Police Commission (KKN) tasked with monitoring their performance.
The law on the commission was passed in 2002 but the commission
has not yet been established.
Lubis of Police Watch pointed out that most complaints
involved the deteriorating traffic situation in the capital.
"Traffic is an indication of the quality of police services."
Still fresh in people's minds is the fatal incident last month
when traffic police stopped passing vehicles on the Jagorawi toll
road near Cibubur toll gate, East Jakarta, to make way for
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's convoy.
The abrupt stop led to a pileup in which six people died.
Police almost immediately named two drivers as "suspects"
although there was no thorough investigation.
Security is also a major concern for the public as terrorists
have targeted the capital, shaking Jakartans' perception that
terrible things only happen in areas remote from the metropolis.
The bombing outside the Australian Embassy in Kuningan, South
Jakarta in September, shocked city residents who perhaps had
thought that the police had learned all that was necessary from
last year's JW Marriott hotel bombing that killed 12 people and
injured 147 others.
The Kuningan blast killed 11 people while more than 180 others
were injured. The investigation into the explosion is still
continuing under the National Police.
The Police Watch survey also revealed that the crime rate has
increased this year, Lubis said.
Data from the Jakarta Police Headquarters reveals that the
number of crimes is increasing in the capital. On an average
monthly basis up until September, there were 205 robberies and
muggings, 648 burglaries and 763 auto theft cases.
The figures were higher compared to last year's average
monthly rates of 168 robberies and muggings, 510 burglaries and
532 auto thefts. In 2002, there were 175 robberies, 390
burglaries and 499 vehicles stolen each month.
City police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani had promised at the
beginning of his term that his main priority was increase his
officers professionalism and provide better training and
interactive discussions between police elements. Related story
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