Yusril Urges Police to Boost Security to Prevent Vigilantism

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, has urged the National Police to increase vigilance to prevent the rise of theft, robbery, and violent street crime across various regions. Yusril warned that the state’s failure to provide a sense of security could trigger an increase in vigilante actions within society. “The police need to enhance security and protection for the public. If the state fails to provide a sense of safety from theft, robbery, and muggings, the tendency for people to take the law into their own hands will also increase,” Yusril stated on Wednesday (29/7/2026).

Yusril specifically highlighted incidents of mob violence in Bali and Morowali that resulted in the deaths of suspected thieves due to beatings. He assessed that allowing such vigilante actions to continue unchecked could potentially develop into serious human rights violations. To respond to the prevalence of street crime, Yusril plans to hold a Joint Coordination Meeting with the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs. He added that handling street crime requires a comprehensive, cross-ministerial approach, including the involvement of independent bodies such as Komnas HAM, LPSK, Komnas Perempuan, and KPAI. This cross-sector synergy is expected to ensure that prevention, public protection, and law enforcement efforts are carried out in a standardised manner with a human rights perspective. “In these incidents, there appeared to be no prevention by law enforcement officers, allowing the mob to freely beat the victims to death. Such negligence, if it continues, could develop into serious human rights violations. The state must be present and prevent all of this,” he stressed.