Private gun ownership increasing, say police

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakarta Police have forecasted an increase in armed crimes this year, after witnessing their incidence rise by 1.78 percent, from 18,677 cases in 2001 to 19,011 cases last year.

Despite the modest increase in numerical terms, violence has escalated as many armed robbery attempts have involved fatalities.

It seems that faith alone to deal with the worsening security situation is not enough as more and more prominent people in the capital have armed themselves. Some have hired bodyguards, while others prefer to carry handguns or much more affordable gas pistols and rubber bullet guns for self-protection.

As of 2002, according to Jakarta Police chief of firearms and explosives control Adj. Sr. Comr. Purwanti, the National Police had issued at least 500 gun licenses for use in Jakarta and another 2,000 for gas pistols and rubber bullet guns.

Reportedly, many illegal firearms are also privately owned by people. "And the number has been on the increase," Purwanti told The Jakarta Post last Friday. But she said she did not have last year's data.

The National Police Headquarters named uncontrolled arms smuggling and conflicts in other regions where people can easily obtain homemade guns or stolen firearms as the culprit, and the force has pledged to tighten gun control.

She said that not everyone who sought a license could be trusted with a gun.

An applicant will be asked to select one gun, or more, from dummies displayed by the National Police Headquarters' recommended distributors. An import order will be made in the name of a high-ranking police officer.

According to Law No. 8/1948 on gun possession, civilians are only allowed to use firearms with a specification not more than 32 caliber -- well below the specification of firearms used by the military and police.

The favorites, said Purwanti, were the 22-caliber Beretta, commonly used by women, and 32-caliber Colt or Smith and Wesson products.

Prices, including import tax, range between Rp 60 million (US$6,741) and Rp 125 million.

The cheapest are produced by the Indonesian Army's ammunition and explosives manufacturer PT Pindad, at a price of Rp 40 million.

"But most are reluctant to buy Pindad products and prefer to buy gas pistols or rubber bullet guns, priced at between Rp 20 million and Rp 40 million respectively," Purwanti added.

The firearms and explosives control unit at the intelligence division of the National Police Headquarters is authorized to produce the documentation required by Law No. 20/1960 on gun licenses, which was revised by Law No. 28/1997 on the police force.

The applicant is, by law, required to pass a psychological test designed to assess their emotional stability, as well as a shooting test. An interview and field check will follow to find out whether the applicant is really in clear and present danger.

If an application is approved, the National Police will issue licenses for possession and use of the gun. A license to carry the weapon is required when the holder intends to carry it outside his normal dwelling place.

Gun license-holders are also subject to annual tests of their marksmanship and emotional stability, to avoid the possibility of gun misuse.

However, there are ways of ensuring that the tests are passed?

Unlawful use or trading in firearms is punishable by a life sentence, according to Emergency Law No. 12/1951 on the illegal possession of firearms.

Unfortunately, it is a poorly kept secret that civilians can easily obtain guns at much lower prices from the armed forces- backed black market or homemade gun manufacturers, as in Cipacing, West Java, which means the police cannot record or trace all gun use.

Many observers blame the increased use of firearms on the ease of obtaining a gun and police failure to crack down on illegal gun manufacturers and the black market. They believe all these have triggered a gangster-style culture.

Purwanti feared firearms competition between criminals and the civilians would worsen security in the city.

"If I were asked what to do, I would not advise people to arm themselves with a handgun because it would not leave them free from danger.

"It's far better for them not to appear ostentatious in public so that they will not become a target of criminals," she added.