Wiranto wants people's help with city security

JAKARTA (JP): City military chief Maj. Gen. Wiranto said yesterday that security arrangement in Jakarta should involve the community as far as possible.

In a speech installing the new East Jakarta Military District chief, Wiranto called on his officers to encourage greater participation by the people in maintaining security.

As an example, he cited the neighborhood watch, known as Siskamling, which he said must be intensified.

Siskamling is a concept that calls on all citizens to take turns in patrolling their respective neighborhoods.

"With common vision and people's participation, any problem can be tackled by local officers without waiting for an order from the superior," he said.

Wiranto also called on his officers to disseminate information about people's duty to participate in defending the state against foreign aggression.

The chief yesterday installed Lt. Col. Dodi Sudarno as the new chief of East Jakarta Military, replacing Lt.Col. Tri Tamtomo.

Sudarno was previously chief of the Infantry Battalion 201 based in Jakarta. Tamtomo will be installed as vice territorial assistant of the City Military Command. Both Sudarno and Tamtomo are 1974 graduates of the National Military Academy.

Wiranto in his speech warned that the current national development program will also bring about some negative impacts, particularly concerning security.

"Beside positive results, development also brings negative impacts in the city's life," he said, citing as examples the growing use of firearms and sharp weapons in crimes, and the increasing number of robberies, and street demonstrations.

He also urged the new East Jakarta Military district chief to ensure the success of the National Discipline Campaign, which was launched jointly with the city administration on June 23.

The campaign is aimed at encouraging people to observe basic discipline such as queuing, not littering, and obeying regulations.

"We hope the people's discipline will become built-in, and that people obey rules even when there were no officers around," he said.

Sudarno, a father of three daughters, spent the first nine years of his military career in the Bukit Barisan Military Command headquarters which oversees the northern part of Sumatra.

He then moved to Meulaboh district in Aceh and Cirebon district in West Java, and to the Siliwangi Regional Military Command in West Java where he was a training instructor. (29)