Street justice blamed on weak law enforcement

Street justice blamed on weak law enforcement

JAKARTA (JP): Rampant acts of street justice in the city
recently has stemmed from public frustration over poor law
enforcement and the many unresolved cases, scholars said on
Saturday.

Legal observer Johannes Sardadi from the Atma Jaya University
said many unsolved cases, including those of corruption, had
caused people to loose faith in the country's legal system.

"The frustration (over weak law enforcement) has caused people
to decide to take justice into their own hands," Johannes said
while addressing participants of a symposium on violent behavior,
which was held by the university.

Similarly, sociologist Tanete Adrianus Pong Masak said many
unsolved cases of wrongdoing and mismanagement by both state and
nongovernment officials has led to weak law enforcement.

"The myth about our civilized society has been shattered to
pieces," Tanete said, adding that this had added to people's
frustration, prompting them to take the law into their own hands.

The city has witnessed many cases of street justice by angry
mobs on people who have allegedly committed crimes.

On Thursday, a man with no identification was burned alive by
angry locals on Jl. Raya Binong in Curug district, Tangerang, for
allegedly attempting to steal a motorcycle.

The burning was witnessed by two unarmed police personnel who
were on a routine patrol in the area. But, the two failed to stop
the incident as they were outnumbered by the locals.

Previously on June 10, an angry mob at the Kampung Rambutan
bus terminal in East Jakarta burned five people alive after an
unknown person yelled and accused the five of being pickpockets.

Separately, city police chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi called on the
people not to blame the rampant street justice merely on the
police force.

"Don't only blame the police. Combating street justice is the
responsibility of all people," the two star-general told
reporters after a ceremony celebrating the police's 54th
anniversary at the National Police headquarters in Kebayoran
Baru, South Jakarta.

Nurfaizi said councilors, religious figures and other members
of the society must join hands to reduce such transgression.

"Community figures should also tell people of the negative
aspects of such actions," he said.

He admitted that the police alone were not able to deal with
the matter.

He blamed the low number of police personnel as the main
reason for its failure to curb street justice.

"The police officers are often too late to the scene, where
the street justice occurs, since our personnel is limited.

"We cannot maintain security in such a huge city like Jakarta
for 24 hours," he said.

Since the police are often late to the scene, they always
depend upon testimonies from witnesses, he said.

"Witnesses at the scenes, however, are often unwilling to give
testimony over the incidents.

"Probably because they were part of the mob who committed the
act of street justice," he said. (08/asa)