TDS Survey: Public Trust in Police Remains High

Tempo Data Science (TDS) has conducted another national survey to gauge public perceptions of the government and law enforcement. The face-to-face survey, held from 28 February to 7 March 2026 and involving 1,260 respondents, shows that the public still holds considerable trust in the police, particularly in maintaining security. However, criticisms of services, integrity, and law enforcement remain strong. As many as 94% of respondents feel their residential environment is safe, and 91.3% feel safe walking alone at night. Assessments of police performance in maintaining security are also relatively positive, with 84% of respondents rating it as good or very good. This figure indicates that the police’s preventive function is considered quite effective. Nevertheless, victims’ experiences of crime reveal fundamental issues in services. Of the 17% of respondents who admitted to experiencing or knowing about theft, only 42.4% reported it to the police, while almost as many chose not to report. The main reasons are that the reporting process is seen as complicated, distrust that the report will be followed up, and because the losses incurred are small. In cases of violent crime, the reporting rate is higher, but the reasons for not reporting remain the same: the process is complicated. On the other hand, public perceptions of legal justice aspects tend to be more critical. As many as 59% of respondents believe the law does not yet apply fairly to everyone. Assessments of apparatus integrity are also not strong: only about half of the respondents believe the police act honestly, impartially, and do not expect rewards. In fact, 41.4% of respondents believe many police members still commit ethical and professional violations. Assessments of changes in police behaviour are also not encouraging. The majority of respondents (62%) believe there has been no significant change in the last six months. Perceptions of openness to criticism are moderate, with around 55% rating the police as sufficiently open to public input. This survey also captures public views on police involvement in programmes outside their core functions, such as food self-sufficiency and the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. Public knowledge of this role is relatively low. Among those who know, assessments of police performance tend to be positive, but support for such involvement is not dominant. Some respondents even consider the role inappropriate, indicating that the public wants the police to focus on their core tasks: maintaining security, order, and law enforcement. Overall, these findings show a paradox: levels of safety and trust in the police’s basic functions remain high, but trust in service aspects, integrity, and legal justice is still fragile. Efforts outside core duties have not been sufficient to improve the image, as long as fundamental issues have not been addressed. Beyond police issues, the TDS survey also notes a decline in public satisfaction with the government and the president. Satisfaction with President Prabowo Subianto has dropped from 77.6% in December 2025 to 61.2% in March 2026. Satisfaction with government performance has also fallen from 75.1% to 58.4%. This decline is closely related to perceptions of the economic situation. The majority of respondents rate the economic condition as moderate or poor, with job opportunities, unemployment, and prices of basic necessities as the main complaints. However, social programmes that provide direct benefits still receive high appreciation from the public.