Tourism police given the cold shoulder

By Christiani Tumelap

JAKARTA (JP): Many foreign tourists visiting the capital are still reluctant to ask for help or assistance from the city's tourism police unit, which was established 10 months ago.

Some tourists may prefer to handle a problem themselves or think that police officers cannot solve their difficulty, the head of Jakarta Tourism Police, Maj. M. Nur H. Usman, told The Jakarta Post.

Another reason for the lack of interest may be that tourists doubt the officers' ability to speak their language, not to mention beliefs that many police officers are "misbehaving", Usman said.

"All of the above reasons, in my opinion, have influenced the foreigners' view of us.

"That's too bad because we are here for the sake of them," he said. "This unit was specially set up to serve and protect tourists."

The Jakarta unit was established on Dec. 18 last year. Police in other major tourist destinations, such as Denpasar, Yogyakarta and Medan, have also set up similar units.

It is easy to spot members of the tourism unit thanks to their special uniforms, which differ from regular police attire. Officers wear a long-sleeve shirt that is the same color as the regular police uniform but with maroon epaulets, cuffs and a necktie.

Apart from patrolling particular areas -- such as museums, hotels, shopping centers, airports, bus terminals, railway stations, nightspots, entertainment centers and areas which are prone to crime -- the unit's officers also act as guides for tourists visiting international-scale events, such as expos and cultural shows.

Jakarta's unit now numbers 68 and one third of the team are policewomen. Their ranks are mostly sergeants and lieutenants.

Before joining the team, officers received special training to ensure they have the necessary skills for the job, including English and human relations, Usman said.

"They must speak at least one foreign language, understand related issues and regulations, including the Immigration Law and its procedures, know all information regarding tourism, including accommodation fees, tourist spots, the names of streets, and much more."

No gun

Tourism police are unarmed but have access to 20 motorcycles and seven jeeps to facilitate their daily 24-hour patrol of Greater Jakarta.

Even though many tourists do not know the unit exists, due to a lack of promotion, the officers have vowed to continue working hard to serve foreigners.

"We really hope (our dedication) will mean a lot which, in turn, will make them realize that we are here to help them," a member of the unit, First Lt. Theresia. said.

Some of the common dilemmas that Theresia and her colleagues have helped solve for tourists include helping visitors find their way back to hotels or friends' houses after getting lost in the middle of the night.

"It might be just a simple thing that we can do for them," Theresia said.

Usman said it was important for the unit to build a strong, mutual relationship with owners of hotels, discotheques, pubs, cafes and tourist spots.

"Unfortunately, many of the owners here still view us as the 'enemy'," he said. "They always think that our presence at their places will just scare visitors and, therefore, ruin their business."

According to another officer, Second Sgt. Hendri Wilson, a number of entertainment center owners have even prohibited the officers from entering their properties.

"Some even put their big and unsympathetic 'security guards' at the entrance doors to scare us away," Hendri said.

He refused to name names but said: "Most of the unfriendly places are located in the red light districts."

Usman said that on top of a poor response from entertainment center managers, there were also several internal problems which still hindered the unit from extending its services.

"They include a lack of personnel, language barriers and financial shortages," he said.

About 70 percent of the personnel speak English well, he said.

"But we still lack personnel who can talk other foreign languages."

Usman said that some of his officers had taken foreign language courses at their own expense.

"We also meet twice a week at my office to help each other improve our English as the budget is not sufficient to hire professional teachers," he said.