Seven Regional Police Forces Propose Establishment of PPA and PPO Directorates

The Directorate of Criminal Acts for the Protection of Women and Children and the Eradication of Human Trafficking (PPA-PPO) at the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) has revealed that seven regional police forces (polda) have applied to establish a special directorate for handling cases involving women and children this year. According to AKBP Ema Rahmawati, Head of the Operations Planning Subdivision at the PPA-PPO Directorate of Bareskrim Polri, the establishment of PPA-PPO Directorates at the polda level is being carried out in stages, given the increasingly complex handling of criminal cases involving women and children. “There are already seven polda and 25 polres that will be proposed for upgrading with the establishment of PPA and PPO Directorates,” Ema said during an on-the-record ANTARA Podcast interview in Jakarta on Monday. The seven polda in question are Gorontalo, Riau, Riau Islands, Aceh, Banten, Bali, and Lampung. Meanwhile, the 25 polres fall under these seven polda. She explained that the formation of the PPA and PPO Directorates in the seven polda is still in the discussion stage and is being refined by National Police Headquarters (Stamarena and the Police Logistics Bureau), as there are mechanisms that must be followed regarding the development of the institution. “Because this also relates to the budget, it must be aligned with the Ministry of Finance as well, so it is still in process,” she said. The mid-ranking police officer could not yet confirm when the PPA and PPO Directorates in the seven polda would be formed. It could be in the near future if there is an organisational need and public pressure. Regarding readiness, she continued, the formation needs to consider the preparedness of the polda and polres. “There is indeed a process that must be followed, the readiness of these polda and polres must also undergo a feasibility test, whether they are ready or not, such as their human resources component, budget, facilities and infrastructure, and what the regional-level collaboration is like,” she said. “So that the handling of cases involving women and children is more focused,” she added. The presence of the PPA and PPO Directorates in these seven polda will increase the number of such specialised directorates at the regional level. This follows the inauguration of PPA and PPO Directorates in 11 polda and 22 polres on 21 January 2026. The eleven polda that already have PPA and PPO Directorates are Metro Jaya, North Sumatra, West Java, Central Java, East Java, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, and North Sulawesi.