POLICE READY TO SECURE X'MAS FESTIVITIES

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 22 (ANTARA) - The National Police will field at least 83 personnel to secure year-end festivities nation-wide, particularly during Christmas Eve when in the past churches became the target of terror acts.          According to National Police Chief General Timur Pradopo, a total of 87,339 police and 18,917 military (TNI) personnel and from other offices concerned will be deployed to ensure security at various locations linked to Christmas and New Year celebrations across the country.          Besides in Jakarta, priority will also be given to other provinces, particularly provinces which are vulnerable to unrest.          "Based on the rate of vulnerability and intensity of activities first priority will be given to 14 police regions namely Papua, Maluku, Southeast Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara, West Kalimantan, Bali, East Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, Jakarta, West Java and North Sumatra," Timur Prodop said.         In carrying out the security maintenance, police will launch an operation dubbed "Operation Candle 2011."     "Specifically, the National Police will also launch Operation Candle 2011 in the period of December 23, 2011 - January 1, 2012,"  Timur Pradopo said here on Thursday.          For the pacification in the capital city Jakarta, police will field 5,899 personnel from Jakarta Police and 1,780 public order officers (Satpol PP) Jakarta.         Timor Pradopo said that police and military officers must be able to guarantee security during the Christmas and New Year festivities so that the event would proceed solemnly, peacefully and comfortably.       "We also call on the people to play their role in maintaining the peace around churches in their neighborhoods. The role of the people is vitally important in maintaining security during the Christmas and New Year activities," he said after leading a roll-call of Operation Candle 2011 personnel at the National Monument (Monas) square here on Thursday morning.          He said that officers grouped in the  Operation Candle 2011 would conduct sterilization program of churches in  a number of regions to anticipate terror acts such as bomb threats.         "The people, Christians in particular, should not be worried. We already have standard of operations (SOP) for all," he said.          He said that it was a must to carry out sterilization after which security officers would conduct control from the beginning of the activities, namely since the preparations until the implementation of activities.          In the meantime, Jakarta Police Chief Untung S Radjab did not ruled out the possibility of the existence of terrorist group in Jakarta.         But the terror group has not yet until now acted to disturb Jakartans. "The people have not yet so far received threats from the terror group but it really exist so that we should anticipate everything that is possible to happen," Untung said.          Terrorism threats and actions still marred the security situation in 2011 and must thus remain to be given special attention, especially ahead of the Christmas and New Year celebrations.          After all, the number of security problems this year increased. Timur Pradopo said security problems increased by 6.3 percent this year to 317,016 from 298,988 in 2010.          "Increasing activities and mobility have been the cause of various security and order problems so far," he  said.          Timur said all of the challenges required the police's role and synergy with community members and other offices with regard to formulating innovative measures and effective actions to deal with the potential threats.          To ensure security for the Christmas and New Year celebrations the police in cooperation with their security partners will conduct centralized candle light operations (Operasi Lilin) for ten days from December 23 to January 2 as an integrated humanitarian operation that will put preventive actions above others supported by law enforcement and early detection.          Special attention will also be given to Jakarta where terror threats still prevailed. "Terrorism threats and actions meanwhile still marred the security situation in 2011 and must thus remain to be given special attention, especially ahead of the Christmas and New Year celebrations," he said.         Police will also involve inter-faith mass organizations in maintaining peace during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.         Besides that Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo said the regional government of Jakarta would continue to coordinate with the Jakarta Police in providing security and peacefulness for Jakarta.          "We will work hard in maintaining security, public order and peace for Jakarta residents," Bowo said.          (T.A014/A/HAJM/00:25/a014) 23-12-2011 00:26:2