By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, Nov 12 (ANTARA) - Indonesian security officers have arrested more than 3,000 hoodlums following an order from National Police Chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri early this month to launch a nation-wide crack down on gangsters who had caused public unrest.
"Police will act firmly against hoodlums, no matter who they are, including those who are backed by individual police or military personnel," the head of criminal investigation department of the National Police Headquarters, Insp Gen. Susno Duaji, said.
Until last weekend, a total of 3,184 goons had been arrested. After questioning, however, only 369 were detained for further legal process. They were involved in cases of extortion, robbery, snatcher actions and other street crimes.
Police confiscated as evidence Rp9.7 million in cash, two firearms, 20 sharp weapons, two motor vehicles, nails and other objects used to commit crimes.
Duaji said police would continue to crack down on hoodlums who extorted people for money in the streets, at traffic lights, in public transport vehicles, at bus terminals and other public places.
He said street criminals included those who scratched the surface of car bodies, `kapak merah' (red axe) muggers and debt collectors who used force against debtors.
Therefore, debt collectors were advised not to resort to threats or violence against the persons from whom they had to ask for money because it was categorized as a crime.
"Debt collectors are allowed to ask people to pay their debts in a good way but if they resort to verbal threats or violent actions, police will arrest them," Duaji said.
Firm actions would also be taken against those who ask people to pay for unrequested security guard services in public places such as in 'mikrolet' minibuses, taxis and at bus stops.
Initially, the operations to crack down on hoodlums were launched only in five police regions -- in the provinces of North Sumatra, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java and Jakarta.
However, the areas of anti-hoodlum operations were later expanded to all police regions in the country as there was increasing demand from the public who claimed they felt constantly threatened by the presence of hoodlums.
"All regional police headquarters are ordered to launch the operations. The operations will be expanded and launched by all regional police units, not only by those in the five provinces. We have sent telegrams to them to carry out the operations," Police Chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri said last week.
In order to support the operations againt hoodlums, the National Police Headquarters set up two teams for each regional police unit led by an officer with the rank of senior commissioner.
"If need be, we will add reinforcement teams from the 'Gegana' (bomb squad) and Mobile Brigade units. This is to anticipate the hoodlums' strength," he said.
Duaji said police would continue to carry out anti-gangster operations until the public felt secure.
The Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) expressed support for the police moves to fight street gangsters in the country.
"The IPW supports police efforts to eliminate unrest created by hoodlums. The operations should not be carried out in a certain period only but also on a routine basis," IPW chairman Neta S Pane said.
Pane said at the beginning of Gen. Sutanto's term as National Police Chief, police also launched similar operations but it lasted only for two months. After the operations were stopped, street gangsters appeared again.
While supporting the police moves, IPW also raised concern that the operations could revive the practice of killing of hoodlums in extra-judicial ways, dubbed in local term as `Petrus' in the 1980s.
"The crack down orders on street gangsters could be misunderstood by officers in the field which could lead to the petrus practice," Pane said.
Therefore, the police's criminal investigation department should provide a clear operational standard so that the order can be understood correctly by lower rank and file in the field.
"Moreover, I have heard a statement of a police chief of a certain region who has issued a shoot-on-the spot order," Pane said.
However, Pane said, she had not seen so far any deviations made by officers in the field, particularly with regard to the petrus practice.
In the 1981-1983 period, the government adopted a short-cut policy by fielding teams to locate or pursue suspected hoodlums and shoot them to death on the spot in an effort to improve security in the streets. It was believed that hundreds of hoodlums died in this way with their dead bodies left uncared for at the scene of their execution.
In response to the IPW concern, Susno Duaji said the operations launched by police now would not turn into a 'petrus' operation.
"This operation is not carried out mysteriously. It is open. There is no need to launch it secretly," the police chief investigator said.
He said that the public should not worry that police's operations would lead to the petrus practice.
"We are arresting gangsters based on the law and in line with violations they have committed. If no evidence on their crimes is found, they will be released after 24 hours," Duaji said.(T.A014/A/HAJM/21:10/A/H-YH) 12-11-2008 21:13:57
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