'Unprofessional police need better role models'

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

As more and more police officers committed crimes, extra effort by the officers' superiors would be needed to supervise their behavioral development, a noted criminologist said on Friday.

Adrianus Meliala said senior policemen should pay more attention to their subordinates who, in general, tended to suffer from stress which later led them to become criminals themselves.

"It's difficult to verify why and how the policemen have committed criminal offenses, but they must try to look up to their superiors as role models. In this case, a good role model is needed," Adrianus, who is an advisor to National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar, told The Jakarta Post.

Two incidents on arbitrary shootings involving members of the force's elite Mobile Brigade (Brimob) have taken place within the last two weeks.

The latest incident occurred on Thursday evening following a game of domino on Jl. Tanah Abang III No. 15 in Central Jakarta, between First Brig. Andi Setiawan and officer Stefen of the Brimob Central Headquarters at Kelapa Dua subdistrict of Cimanggis district in South Jakarta, who played as a pair against another pair, a City Police headquarters officer, identified only as Totok, and a businessman, identified as Wasrab.

Central Jakarta police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Sukrawardi Dahlan said while quoting witnesses that Andi, who was a group commander, pulled out his pistol and shot Sugiyono, a security guard working for PT Astri Anila Anggin, who happened to be a spectator.

Sukrawardi, however, did not mention the true cause of the incident. "It was just an accident," he said.

Adrianus admitted that monitoring the Brimob members was considered the toughest task in the police force because of its militaristic style.

"And it's impossible to screen those who can join the unit because it applies a recruitment criteria, similar to those applied at the traffic police and detectives units," he said.

City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Prasetyo told reporters on Friday that, deliberately or not, Andi would also be prosecuted as well as face a possible dismissal from the force.

Earlier on Feb. 20, First Private Mintori shot and killed Nurhikmah, a resident of Duren Sawit district in East Jakarta, who was passing the area on a motorbike along with his brother Sanusi.

Mintori reportedly went berserk because he only got Rp 5,000 (less than 60 US cents) while extorting members of a gambling ring, and so fired his weapon randomly at passersby.

The police force recently dismissed Mintori and officially apologized to the family of Nurhikmah and the residents.