Policewoman arrival thwarts daytime robbery

JAKARTA (JP): A quick-witted policewoman foiled an attempted daytime robbery by a notorious gang of four thugs in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta yesterday.

The officer shot and injured one of the robbers while the rest reportedly bugged out.

One of the toughs was later apprehended by angry area residents, who helped the policewoman subdue the robbers.

Lt. Col. Latief Rabar, a spokesman for City Police, said the attempted robbery occurred at around 10:15 a.m. when the four broke into the house of Siti Amnah, 40, on Jl. Batu Sari, in Batu Ampar subdistrict, Kramat Jati district, East Jakarta.

The house was empty at the time because Amnah, an employee of the Ministry of Manpower who lives alone there, had already left for work.

Several area residents witnessed the arrival of the four thieves on two motorbikes, armed to the teeth with sickles and machetes, but they dared not stand up to them.

Two of the robbers then broke into the house while the other two remained outside.

Police Lt. Yusmaniar, a staff member of the Personnel Directorate at National Police Headquarters, whose house is located behind Amnah's, returned home at this time to change into a ceremonial uniform while the robbers were busy ransacking Amnah's house.

The officer was changing her uniform for a general rehearsal in the run-up to Policewomen Day on Sept. 1.

Upon seeing her, a neighbor, identified as Rizal, told the officer that something suspicious was taking place at Amnah's house.

Yusmaniar, clad in her uniform and brandishing a pistol, went to the house and saw that two of the robbers, armed with machetes and crowbars, leaving the house with a stolen TV set.

A bricklayer named Yasidi, 38, who was renovating Yusmaniar's house, followed the officer from behind.

"I took up my pistol and shouted, 'I'm police. Drop your weapon'," Yusmaniar recalled.

Instead of turning themselves in, the robbers attacked the officer, but Yasidi, who is skilled at martial arts, came to her aid.

One of the robbers, later identified as Sofyan, 21, a resident of Tengah subdistrict, Kramat Jati district, then got involved in a brawl with Yasidi, who had no weapons.

Another robber, who remained unidentified until yesterday, tried to attack Yusmaniar, but fell down after she shot him in the chest. Yusmaniar reportedly had earlier fired two warning shots into the air.

The two robbers who served as lookouts fled on their bikes after seeing their friend shot. Sofyan tried to follow them but the area residents who had flocked to the scene captured him and beat him bloody.

"I'm very grateful to Yasidi for his aid," Yusmaniar said honestly.

According to Kampung Makassar police, who handled the case, the group of robbers had earlier committed at least five daring daytime robberies in the area. The four were included in the list of wanted robbers by the Semarang, Central Java, police. (jsk)