Special program planned against vehicle theft

Special program planned against vehicle theft

JAKARTA (JP): Police plan to launch a special operation to
crack down on vehicle theft in response to the growing trend of
the crime, City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto said.

"The escalating vehicle theft rate requires us to stage the
special operation. Today it seems that many criminals focus their
activities on vehicle theft," Hindarto told reporters yesterday
in Bekasi after inducting Lt. Col. Herry Pribadi as a new Bekasi
Police chief.

Hindarto said at present at least six motorcycles and two
cars, mainly "Kijang" vans, were reported missing everyday across
the city.

The two-star general did not reveal when the operation will be
launched.

Hindarto called on the public to participate in surveillance
of their property by providing them with necessary safety
apparatus because police could not safeguard every vehicles due
to limited human resources..

Earlier on Thursday, police announced they had busted two
gangs of vehicle theft, "the gang of Didi Ambon" and "the gang of
Surawi". Surawi's gang comprised of retired servicemen.

Police confiscated at least 12 vehicles of various brands from
the gangs. Some of their members are still at large.

During their operation, vehicles thieves usually used the so-
called "T-letter" key to break open the car door in around three
to five minutes.

While the involvement of servicemen in vehicle theft is indeed
a reminiscent of the crime in the middle of 1993, when city
police cracked down on vehicle theft ring.

Then city police captured more than 150 vehicle thieves,
including 30 servicemen, in an operation, said to be the biggest
operation in the anti-vehicle theft history of the country. At
least 350 stolen cars were seized in the operation.

Herbin

Hindarto installed Lt. Col. Herry Pribadi as new Bekasi police
chief to replace Lt. Col. Basyir Barnawi who had been promoted as
private staff of National Police Chief Gen. Banurusman.

Herry, who graduated from the Police Academy in 1975, spent
most of his police career in the intelligence directorate.

He had earlier served as chief to the general crime office of
the investigative directorate at the city police headquarters.

During the induction ceremony Hindarto also underlined a need
to catch the murderer of six family members of Herbin Hutagalung,
although he admitted that it was not an easy task since "the
murderer might have changed his identity.

"To be honest it is very difficult to locate the murderer
because he may have changed his identity," Hindarto said.

The murder of Herbin's family, taking place early this year in
Pondok Gede district, remain one of dark cases for the city
police. (12/jsk)