Rising Criminal Activity Prompts Kenneth of DKI DPRD to Urge West Jakarta City Government to Be Aware and Empathetic

The man, affectionately known as Bang Kent, assesses that the situation can no longer be regarded as ordinary criminal acts that can be sufficiently handled through brief patrols or responses after cases go viral on social media.

“West Jakarta today is facing a serious security problem. Almost every week, the community hears about mugging cases, robberies, and street violence that make residents afraid to go about their activities, especially at night and in the early hours. This must serve as a loud alarm for the West Jakarta City Government to be more aware and more serious in reading the situation on the ground,” said Kent in his statement on Tuesday (12/5/2026).

According to him, street crime issues cannot be entirely shouldered by the police apparatus. The city government is also deemed to have a major responsibility in creating a sense of security through area supervision, street lighting, activation of CCTV, and coordination with neighbourhood units (RT/RW) and community leaders.

“Do not wait for there to be fatalities or major cases before taking massive action. The West Jakarta City Government must directly map out high-risk points, ensure street lights are functioning, CCTV is active, dark areas are not neglected, and neighbourhood patrols are truly operational. Residents need the presence of the government, not just exhortations or mere rhetoric,” said the member of Commission C of the DKI Jakarta DPRD.

Kent also highlighted several brutal criminal acts that occurred in West Jakarta in recent days. One of them was experienced by a student who became a robbery victim in front of Grogol Station, West Jakarta, on Thursday (7/5) around 21:00 WIB.

The victim, who had just returned from school activities, was cornered by the perpetrators until his Honda ADV motorcycle and iPhone were seized. The victim also suffered physical assault and had to receive treatment at Sumber Waras Hospital.

Another sadistic robbery occurred on Jalan Arjuna Selatan, Palmerah, West Jakarta, some time ago. Based on a viral video circulating, the victim was slashed with a sharp weapon type cleaver until he fell into a ditch. In the recording, two perpetrators on a motorbike approached the victim. One of the perpetrators who got off the motorbike immediately swung the sharp weapon towards the victim.

Not only that, a snatching incident also took place in the Mangga Besar 4 M area, Taman Sari, West Jakarta, on Sunday (3/5/2026). The victim, who was about to go to church, became the target of four perpetrators suspected of carrying sickles. After seizing the victim’s gold necklace, the perpetrators immediately fled and escaped from the residents’ pursuit.

Kent said the prevalence of such criminal acts indicates gaps in supervision that must be immediately addressed by the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government and the West Jakarta City Government.

“If the community is already afraid to go home at night, afraid to ride a motorbike alone, afraid to walk in their living environment, then there is something wrong with our surveillance system. The West Jakarta City Government should not only focus on ceremonial activities but must be more sensitive to the daily concerns of residents,” emphasised the Chairman of IKAL (Indonesian Family Association of Lemhannas RI Alumni) PPRA Class LXII.

In addition to calling for routine joint operations and the establishment of monitoring posts at high-risk points, Kent also urged periodic evaluations of crime rates in West Jakarta.

“Public security is the top priority. The West Jakarta City Government must be more aware, more responsive, and quicker to act before public trust in safety in DKI Jakarta and West Jakarta continues to decline,” he concluded.