Processing stolen car documents

When my car was stolen in January this year, I resigned myself to what I believed would be a long and difficult process to either recover the car or else process the insurance claim. This has, in part, been true as I have only now -- two and half months later -- received all the necessary documents from the police that are required by the insurance company to process the claim.

However, in obtaining the two documents that the insurance company requires -- the blocked car documents and a letter from the police detective department -- I received good service from Jakarta Police Headquarters and the City Police, who produced these two letters in an efficient manner and without charge.

After hearing many stories -- whether true or not I don't know -- about the "extra costs" and "administration fees" levied by the police for their work, neither the staff at the Directorate of Traffic nor at the detective department asked for, or even suggested, that a fee was payable for their services. This gives me -- and I hope other readers of this letter -- a more positive attitude toward the police and the hope that this is proof that corrupt practices which the police, along with other branches of local and national government, have been involved in the past, are indeed being addressed and eliminated in this era of reform.

I would like to thank all those staffers for their efficiency and honesty in processing my documents. Their attitudes are to be commended and are an example for others to follow.

HUGH COLLETT

Jakarta