PT Telkom and Police to create digital hotline

JAKARTA (JP): PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia has signed an agreement with the National Police Force for establishing a police hotline number and installation of an integrated system digital network (ISDN) at police headquarters.

The agreement was signed by the Executive Director of the telecommunication firm, A.A. Nasution, and the National Police Chief, Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo, at the Jakarta Police headquarters yesterday.

110, the police telephone hotline number, is to allow access to the nearest police station without telephone distraction.

The installation of digital network is to ease communication between police headquarters in Indonesia and those in the neighboring countries.

Nasution said he hoped that his firm, also known as PT Telkom, could help police in their attempt to find better solutions to crimes and other public disturbances.

Dibyo acknowledged PT Telkom's support and said material support would really help police overcome delays due to communication problems with the population.

"Sluggishness in receiving reports from the public has been one of the most serious problems when solving urgent crime cases," Dibyo said.

"With the hotline provided by PT Telkom, we hope that the public will also benefit," he said.

During the trial of the ISDN at the Jakarta Police headquarters yesterday, Dibyo, Nasution and the Jakarta Police Chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata had a brief conversation with officers at the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta and, later, with unidentified officers in Singapore.

During the trial, however, the ISDN device sometimes failed to work properly.

The police hotline number, 110, had actually been used before, but was inactive during the past few years for an unknown reason.

During the first phase of the program, PT Telkom installed only lines for police stations in the greater Jakarta area and will later extend the service to all police stations throughout the country.

In the meantime, Jakartans can dial 110 for help or to report crimes. According to the plan, the phone will be picked up by the nearest police precinct, or locally known as polsek.

When The Jakarta Post tried to dial the number yesterday afternoon from Jl. Palmerah in Central Jakarta, an officer at the West Jakarta police precinct on Jl. Letjen S. Parman picked up the phone.

According to the officer, there are five lines installed for the 110.

"From the time installation was completed last night, we have received only one or two calls," said the officer, who refused to be named. (bsr)