`We want tough, compassionate police officers'

`We want tough, compassionate police officers'

To improve their professionalism as part of their reform agenda,
the National Police have implemented a new curriculum at their
academies. Sr. Comr. Anang Iskandar, who was appointed the State
National Police School (SPN) head in February, shared his
experiences in heading the school for senior non-commissioned
officers (bintara) with The Jakarta Post's Soeryo Winoto. Below
is an excerpt of the interview, which was conducted on Friday at
the police school in Lido, Sukabumi, West Java.

Question: The key to improving the quality of our police is
education. How has the curriculum changed at this academy since
the police separated from the Military (TNI)?

Answer: Our curriculum here has changed twice. The first
complete overhaul was made in 1999 and the second is ongoing, and
I am part of the team (in charge of the new curriculum), which
also includes officials from the National Police Headquarters,
members of non-governmental organizations and experts from the
University of Indonesia.

Change and adjustment will always occur in line with social
conditions and demands on the role of the police.

Q: What is the most important issue concerning the new
curriculum?

A: The focus is to change the culture of the police apparatus. We
want to find what kind of police the people really expect.

We have dropped militaristic subjects that are no longer
relevant, while vital subjects like discipline remain.

Q: How many instructors do you have here?

A: We have 200 instructors -- four of them are retired police
officers, while the rest are all active officers.

Q: Your students will become the front line in protecting the
people, and restoring the image and establishing the reputation
of the National Police. How will they realize this?

A: The curriculum is designed to meet such aims. The recruits
will take courses in human rights, ethics and other social
affairs subjects. We are integrating both technical and non-
technical subjects in a program the students can easily digest
and practice without losing their identity as police officers. We
are formulating the best possible system.

We now apply a 5-5-1 system, meaning that the recruits get an
initial five-month basic training here, followed by a five-month
probationary period and field training program under the auspices
of city police stations, and a final month of evaluations before
they graduate. A student can fail if they are found to have made
unacceptable mistakes during the probationary period.

This is a new concept that is being applied for the first time
to the 24th corps, which consists of 750 students, who will,
hopefully, graduate this month.

Q: What were the previous systems like for the other 23 corps?

A: We had no probation nor evaluation period for recruits in the
past. We had an 11-month, nine-month or six-month system, through
which we were trying to find the best formula. If the current
program is a success, we may implement it for future recruits.

Q: Do you think your students can absorb all the subjects within
only five months?

A: Yes, I'm sure they can. First, because the recruitment was
well-planned and the selection was fair. Everything was, and is,
well-managed and structured in the new curriculum.

Q: Do you feel that the current curriculum is appropriate?

A: I feel that further changes are possible.

Apart from the standard subjects, I am now teaching what you
could call humanism to the students.

We make the recruits aware of their existence as human beings
and in understanding who they are, why they are here and what
they will do as police officers.

We are instilling an awareness of their purpose and goals,
because they will be working within a heterogeneous society.

Remember that we are talking about humans, who are vulnerable
to changes. We try to prepare them well, both mentally and
physically, because as policemen, they must be able to make the
best decisions on the spot, depending on the situation they are
facing.

I do hope that they will always be able to apply their
knowledge and skills in any situation and in any community.

Q: What do you mean?

A: Police officers must be able to do the right thing in any and
every circumstance. What the recruits take from the academy must
be applicable to diverse communities, which are always evolving.
We constantly remind the recruits that they must become part of
the community they are protecting.

Policemen must know when to smile, when to be serious and when
to get tough. Should they smile and be nice to a fierce and wild
mob? No way.

We want tough and smart police officers with a high sense of
compassion. We want no more trigger-happy officers, we want no
more brutal and ill-behaved officers.

Q: You seem to have ambitious ideas. Will you be able to submit
them to the National Police Headquarters so that your ideas may
be adopted into the official curriculum?

A: I have ways to teach the students compassion and humanity
without changing the existing curriculum. I've seen no problems
at all with this. We use a humanistic approach to cultivate their
sense of humanity, even as we train them to be tough policemen.

Q: Are you saying that creative people are needed here?

A: I don't know. What I do know is that I am the principal and
responsible for the quality of my students. I can only do my best
for them and for the police force. There are others in charge of
making decisions and policies.

Q: Do you think that such an ideal police force is possible
within the next decade?

A: We've just begun. Change takes time, and people must be
patient and helpful. A bad police force reflects a bad community
and vice-versa. So let's join hands to improve our society.