Stolen cars must be returned

Stolen cars must be returned

JAKARTA (JP): City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Dibyo Widodo, widely
known for his strict attitude on discipline, has ordered all
crime investigation personnel to return immediately all stolen
vehicles, that they are using, to their respective owners.

"According to the rules, stolen vehicles temporarily impounded
at city police headquarters for further processing are not
allowed to be misused, even by the police," Dibyo said in a
monthly all-officers meeting, reported spokesman Lt. Col. Bambang
Haryoko on Thursday.

Currently, dozens of stolen cars, of different makes and
models, including new sedans, as well as various motorcycles, are
registered as evidence at the city crime investigation
directorate.

Bambang said that Dibyo told the meeting on Tuesday that he no
longer wanted to see evidence being misused by detectives.

Bambang admitted that the chief knows that some of the stolen
vehicles have been misused by a number of personnel. This
behavior is contradictory to the rules.

The chief gathered all detectives and ordered them to return
the stolen vehicles to their respective owners, who can show the
legitimate documents, the spokesman said.

Dibyo also urged his personnel to process quickly those who
have strong evidence as being the real owners of the vehicles.

"The process is free of charge," Bambang said.

Besides having to show legal documents, owners must also
identify certain marks or characteristics inside the vehicles, in
order to make the officers sure that they are the legal owner.

"We invite people to call me direct, or the city police chief,
if they find any difficulties in their efforts to get back their
vehicles," Bambang said.

In many cases, people who successfully get back their stolen
vehicles have given a certain amount of money, depending on the
condition and type of the vehicles, to the police as a thank you.

"But police are not allowed to ask for such a thing," Bambang
said. (bsr)