Public order officers nab truant colleagues

Irvan NR , Palu

City public order officers frequently evict street vendors for illegally occupying sidewalks as happens across the country. But in Central Sulawesi, they rounded up their own colleagues in the provincial capital of Palu.

Bukit Sianturi, the Palu public order office guidance head, said on Wednesday his personnel from the internal affairs unit nabbed at least 11 other officers for disciplinary offenses.

They later picked up the suspects from their homes and took them to the city municipal office for questioning.

The officers were accused of failing to go to work for several days.

The arrests were made after the officers defied verbal reprimands given by their superiors.

"Therefore, the public order office's internal affairs unit took direct action by taking them to the municipal office," Bukit said.

The 11 officers were reprimanded and ordered to do push ups, sit ups and run around the large ground there.

"The move has been taken to uphold discipline among public order officers, so other civil servants would know the consequences of violations.

"It's not fair if such rules are only enforced on other people (street vendors)," Bukit said.

He said the punishment was ordered by Palu Mayor Suardin Saebo, who said all civil servants including public order officers must uphold discipline.

The mayor issued Decree No. 820/151/2004 to enforce discipline on civil servants in his administration.

The decree stipulates that civil servants breaching the rules must be ready to be replaced by others with a higher degree of loyalty and dedication to their jobs.

It also states that public order officers who do not go to work for three consecutive days without a clear explanation will be "picked up" by their colleagues from their homes and taken to their office.

"We will not enforce the decree in a discriminatory manner. Any public order officer will be picked up from his home if he does not report to work," Bukit vowed.