South Sumatra Police Chief Ensures Security Posts Serve as Centres for Mudik Solutions

The South Sumatra (Sumsel) Police Chief, Irjen Sandi Nugroho, has stressed that field security facilities, such as security posts, must operate optimally as active public service points during the 2026 Eid al-Fitr homecoming season. He emphasised that every personnel must exhibit high sensitivity and avoid getting trapped in routine guarding duties.

“Security Posts (Pospam) are not just for regulating traffic in front of them, but also for providing public information services. Do not let Pospam become mere decorations or symbols of officers’ presence without offering solutions for the community,” Sandi asserted while directly leading the Analysis and Evaluation (Anev) Consolidation of Operation Ketupat Musi 2026 on Wednesday (18/3/2026).

Entering the sixth day of Operation Ketupat implementation, he urged all ranks to prioritise empathy. He also instructed the ranks to ensure that the presence of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) delivers real impacts on the comfort of homecomers.

Traffic flow in the Sumsel region, he continued, shows an increase in vehicle volume. He stated that slowdowns in vehicle speeds due to dense traffic are normal, but he warned against allowing homecomers’ vehicles to become stagnant due to heavy traffic flow.

“Traffic jams during homecoming are normal and reasonable. But when they are stuck for hours, that is what we must anticipate. The principle is, it’s impossible to avoid jams entirely, but as long as the wheels of the vehicles are still turning, it means it’s still safe,” Sandi said.

To ensure such smoothness, 2,361 personnel from the South Sumatra Police have been mobilised with digital technology support. Sandi instructed the use of drones and vulnerability map overlays to precisely monitor critical points.

The police are also anticipating spillover markets to prevent congestion. He reminded his ranks not to adopt a reactive approach like ‘firefighters’.

“We must be present earlier at vulnerable points,” Sandi said.

Sandi recalled that this year’s Eid al-Fitr homecoming coincides closely with Nyepi celebrations. “We must prioritise mutual empathy. I ask the ranks to communicate well so that our brothers and sisters observing Nyepi Day can worship peacefully, emphasising interfaith tolerance in the surrounding environment,” Sandi explained.

Sandi emphasised to his ranks that Operation Ketupat Musi 2026, running until 25 March, must be carried out with full responsibility. He admitted he would continue to monitor every development in the field, including resolving communication blank spots with supporting facilities like satellite internet.

“To ensure security coordination remains solid until the return flow later,” he concluded.