SETARA Institute Backs Metro Jaya Police's 'Preventive Strike' Team for Public Order
The Chairman of the SETARA Institute’s National Board, Hendardi, has voiced support for the Metro Jaya Police’s formation of a ‘Preventive Strike’ team designed to anticipate disturbances to public security and order. Hendardi stated that the team could prevent potential issues from escalating into wider conflicts. “The formation of the Preventive Strike team by the Metro Jaya Police can fundamentally be understood as part of strengthening a preemptive policing strategy, an approach oriented towards preventing potential public security and order disturbances from developing into criminal acts or broader conflicts,” Hendardi told reporters on Tuesday (4/8/2026). “In the modern policing paradigm, prevention is one of the main functions of the police, which deserves support as long as it is carried out professionally and in accordance with the principles of the rule of law.”
Hendardi explained that the police must be able to build an early detection system and intelligence-based preventive measures. He noted that establishing a prevention-oriented unit could serve as an instrument to increase the public’s sense of security while suppressing potential public order disturbances. However, he cautioned that every police action must adhere to the principles of legality, proportionality, and respect for human rights. He urged the Metro Jaya Police to ensure the Preventive Strike team operates with clear standard operating procedures to prevent disturbances without causing human rights violations.
“This preventive orientation must not shift into repressive practices that erode citizens’ rights. The term ‘preventive strike’ must not be interpreted as authority to carry out coercive actions without a clear legal basis, make arbitrary arrests, profile specific groups, or restrict civil liberties based on allegations not supported by sufficient preliminary evidence,” he said. Hendardi added that the team would gain public legitimacy if it truly becomes a professional, measured, and accountable prevention instrument. He expressed hope that the police’s current good performance would continue to improve.
Previously, Metro Jaya Police Head of Public Relations, Senior Commissioner Budi Hermanto, stated that the Preventive Strike team comprises operational directorates within the Metro Jaya Police. The team focuses not only on security within Jakarta but also in the capital’s buffer zones. “The Metro Jaya Police Chief has confirmed the formation of a Preventive Strike team consisting of operational directorates. Early mitigation is underway, and if any groups attempt to cause riots or create uncomfortable and unsafe situations in the Metro Jaya Police jurisdiction, including buffer zones, appropriate, firm, and measured action will be taken,” he explained on Friday (31/7). He confirmed that police are intensifying massive patrols in border areas, such as the Bekasi and Depok borders with West Java, and the Tangerang area bordering Banten, to keep Jakarta safe.