Undercover agents assigned to catch crooked cops

JAKARTA (JP): The city police chief has ordered the heads of related directorates to deploy plainclothes officers to arrest policemen found violating standard procedures when ticketing people breaking the traffic law.

"Disobedient police personnel deserve harsh punishment for their delinquency," Police Chief Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto told reporters on Saturday. "There will be no excuse for them!"

He also instructed the head of the Municipal Traffic Directorate Col. Soeroso to see to it that his personnel always explain the violations the motorists being ticketed are charged with.

He said the police are prohibited from taking any documents from drivers they believe have violated a regulation, without giving them a traffic ticket.

"It's absolutely against the law for the police to hold any documents from motorists without giving them tickets," Hindarto said.

The two-star general said that suspected violators have the right -- as stipulated under the law -- to contest any accusation leveled at them by the police.

Court

"Everybody can argue with an officer," he said. "If the officer wants to stick to his guns, let him do it. The violator will have the opportunity to explain his position thoroughly in court."

The court has the right to set the accused violator free if he is found not guilty, he said.

"The court is also allowed to set the amount of fine lower or higher than initially set by the arresting officer," Hindarto explained.

During the meeting, Hindarto was accompanied by officers and the heads of directorates of the city police command, including Deputy Police Chief Brig. Gen. Ismet Abdullah Soelarso, Crime Investigation Directorate Chief Col. Nurfauzi, Intelligence and Security Affairs Directorate Chief Col. Agus Samad and the Chief of the Command and Control Center for Operations Col. Muhantojo.

The meeting with reporters over the weekend was apparently designed to explain the stance of the city police in the enforcement of the higher fines for traffic violators which sparked massive sit-in strikes by hundreds of bus drivers last week.

The protesters vowed to obey the new fine scale but alleged that the police had often unfairly ticketed violators, especially city bus and minibus drivers.

"The police gave us a ticket even though the door was opened by our passengers," complained one Metro Mini driver.

Commenting on the complaint, Hindarto said: "Such an allegation is not nonsense. My wife and I have separately experienced such situations."

A police officer, who apparently did not recognize Hindarto, stopped him and accused him of violating a traffic sign.

"The officer refused to accept my explanation and forced me to give him my driver's license," he said. "But as soon as he learned what my job was from the document, he gave it back to me and refused to argue further."

He also said that one day his wife was asked to get out of her car and to stand outside under the hot noonday sun to listen to a police officer's explanation on a perceived problem, Hindarto added.

"We need all information, including from the press people, about our personnel's behavior so that we can create an honest and authoritative police force," he said.

On the other hand, Hindarto said he hoped that drivers, especially those of the 30-seat Metro Mini minibuses, would further improve their attitude on the streets.

He urge the drivers not to hand over the buses to other people who are not qualified to run public transportation vehicles.

"Many accidents and traffic violations in the city are made by people who are not the authorized drivers of the buses," he said. He warned the management of PT Metro Mini to pay greater attention to that problem.

Police data show that about 40 percent of traffic violations by city bus drivers in the city are committed by Metro Mini drivers. (bsr)