Public places new hot spots for student brawls

Public places new hot spots for student brawls

JAKARTA (JP): Student brawls near schools have become less
frequent since August as troublemakers target more crowded areas,
an official of the city's public order office said yesterday.

Toha Reno, head of the office's subdivision, said the new
trend had been attributed to students wanting to avoid their old
stomping grounds, which were guarded by security officers.

"The students prefer crowded areas where they can easily slip
away among vehicles, people or buildings if they become involved
in brawls," he said.

According to Toha, there is no evidence that the brawls are
provoked by a particular party.

"The main cause of the brawls is still a kind of solidarity
among friends," he said.

Toha said that his office was working closely with other
related agencies, especially police, to help end the brawling.

He said in a bid to help reduce these incidents, his office
had set up joint programs with other agencies to create
activities for students during school holidays.

He said that his office's main responsibility was to monitor
and control public order, including the regular sites of brawls.

"It's impossible to watch them all day," he said.

The public order office recorded last month 12 cases of
brawling in which three students died, 13 were injured and 147
others were briefly detained for questioning.

This month, three other students have died in student brawls.

According to the office's data in 1996, there are 11 bus
shelters and terminals considered to be potential hot spots for
brawling.

They include: Gambir, Pasar Baru, Pintu Air, Lapangan Banteng
Utara near Jakarta's central post office and Kramat Raya in
Central Jakarta; Cililitan, Rawamangun and Pulo Gadung in East
Jakarta; Gunung Sahari in North Jakarta; and Pasar Minggu in
South Jakarta.

The data also revealed 247 brawling sites, of which 53 are
located in Central Jakarta, 35 in North Jakarta, 46 in West
Jakarta, 56 in South Jakarta and 57 in East Jakarta.

There are also a list of problem schools whose students
regularly become involved in brawls -- 23 in Central Jakarta, 40
in South Jakarta, 16 in West Jakarta, 21 in East Jakarta and 16
in North Jakarta.

Among the problem schools in Central Jakarta are the senior
technical high school STM 1, STM Grafika and senior high school
SMA PSKD.

In South Jakarta the primary concerns are include the junior
high school SMP 12, STM Manggarai Utara, SMA Percik and SMA
Taruna Jaya.

In West Jakarta, the blacklist includes SMP PGRI 5, STM PGRI
11 and SMA Cengkareng, while in East Jakarta the schools STM Budi
Utomo, STM Penerbangan and SMA Kelapa Dua are among the problem
institutions.

The North Jakarta schools listed include STM Perkapalan, STM
Cendana and SMA PSKD 5.

The list also includes 41 intersections prone to brawling
throughout Jakarta, including Tugu Tani in Central Jakarta;
Salemba and Matraman in East Jakarta; Pluit and Ancol in North
Jakarta; Kuningan and Pancoran in South Jakarta and Daan Mogot,
Rawaterate and Jembatan Lima in West Jakarta. (07/05)