Sutiyoso gives command baton to police during holidays

Damar Harsanto The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Jakarta police will be in charge of coordinating all security personnel in the city during the Idul Fitri holidays, in a bid to solidify security arrangements.

"It is up to the Jakarta police chief to decide when and where to deploy all security officers," Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said.

The public order officers, firemen and those of the city health agency will be on duty during the holidays.

Sutiyoso, who also chairs the city authorities, comprising the police force, the military as well as the city council, said that the military would also support the police in upholding security in the city.

City Health Agency spokesperson Zelfino said that her agency would also deploy health officers at certain places, like bus stations and railway stations in anticipation of health problems during the exodus.

"We've also readied some ambulances in several locations across the capital," she said.

City Public Order Agency head Haryanto Bajuri said that all 6,000 officers in his agency would be on duty during the holidays. To compensate them for not getting leave like most of the rest of the city's citizens, they were being paid a holiday allowance of Rp 300,000 as well as free meals and other daily allowances, Haryanto said.

He said half of the force would back up the police, while the rest would continue their routine tasks like clearing slums and riverbanks of illegal squatters