Security at city-owned markets dismal

Security at city-owned markets dismal

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city administration admitted on Monday that its own
markets, totaling 151 modern and traditional markets, were not
well secured due to the lack of security equipment and their open
access.

"It is impossible to impose a security system in the markets
as most of them have too many entrances," said president director
of market operator PD Pasar Jaya Prabowo Soenirman when asked
about his company's readiness to comply with standard security
systems.

Prabowo argued that his firm could not install security
equipment, such as closed-circuit television, due to the lack of
security guards to prevent the equipment from being stolen.

He said other security equipment, such as metal detectors,
were also ineffective to check vehicles entering markets as
nearly all the vehicles were packed with commodities like
vegetables, rice, potatoes, fruit and coconuts.

"How could we detect a bomb if it is placed under all those
commodities," said Prabowo when attending the launch of
antiterror booklet at Plaza Senayan on Monday.

Earlier, Governor Sutiyoso had urged the management of public
places to apply standard security systems and to improve security
measures by using metal detectors.

The governor threatened to close supermarkets, shopping malls,
private offices, government offices, hotels, hospitals and other
commercial places that did not use standard security equipment.

His statement was made following a bomb blast at JW Marriott
Hotel in Kuningan area, South Jakarta on Aug. 5 which killed 12
people and injured 147 others.

On Monday, Sutiyoso received reports from the city's five
mayors who were asked to check the level of preparedness of
public places in implementing standard security measures.

He claimed that only a few of those places had not yet met the
required standards.

He also pledged, not just to take the word of the mayors, but
to make spot inspections at several public places in the city.

Sutiyoso said that he would still give time for the
managements of public places to install the equipment as many
have argued that they had ordered the security equipment but it
was out of stock.

Most shopping malls and hotels had reportedly installed
standard security equipment.

Central Jakarta Mayor Hosea Petra Lumbun said state owned
Wisata International Hotel on Jl. Kebon Kacang, Central Jakarta
was the only place which had not properly implemented the
required security standards.

"But it does not mean that the hotel has no security system.
It has, but it is not adequate," Petra added.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara
admitted that the city administration did not have a standard
security system for public buildings and places.

Makbul revealed said that the police were now preparing the
system, saying that they were still collecting inputs from
various parties including intelligence organizations, the
administration, experts and public figures.

"The inputs are needed to enrich the content of the book on
standard security systems (to be given to the managements of
buildings and malls etc.)," he added.

He did not mention when the book would be launched.