Revisiting the Direction of Polri Reform: Where Should It Go?

By: Dr. I Wayan Sudirta, S.H., M.H., member of Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives from the PDI Perjuangan faction.

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Some time ago, the Polri Reform Acceleration Commission (KPRP), established by President Prabowo Subianto, submitted a report on its performance, totaling approximately 3,000 pages, containing assessments and recommendations regarding the direction of Polri reform policy.

As reported by several media outlets, the KPRP conveyed several key recommendations, including the position of Polri, strengthening the Kompolnas institution, the mechanism for appointing the National Police Chief, regulations on the assignment of Polri members outside the Polri institution, the restructuring of institutional and managerial aspects, and revisions to regulations (the Polri Law, Police Regulations, and Chief of Police Regulations).

The KPRP also conveyed the need for a roadmap for Polri reform in the short, medium, and long term.

I am interested in exploring and examining strategic steps to reform Polri, in relation to the KPRP’s recommendations.

In various articles that I have written, I have argued that Polri reform is an urgent need, especially in designing reforms in culture and structure, which also includes the leadership and organizational style of Polri.

This is because we cannot avoid the fact that Polri is the institution that is most in contact with people’s lives.

In various countries, the police are always one of the institutions that will be highlighted by the public, because the police always play a role as a state apparatus in maintaining security and public order, as well as a law enforcer.

Various efforts have been made to reform policies and organizational structures and culture in order to reform the policing system so that it can function effectively and humanely.

The Indonesian National Police (Polri) is one of the main indicators for measuring the implementation of power in Indonesia.

Polri itself has undergone various transformations, especially since the reform era of 1998 with the birth of MPR Decree No. VI and VII of 2000, which affirmed civilian supremacy in Polri in maintaining and protecting the public.