NOT EVERY OFFICER BEHAVES BADLY: POLICE COMMISSION
In an interview with CNA, Kompolnas Commissioner Poengky Indarti noted that the cases involving Ferdy Sambo and Teddy Minahasa are related to the abuse of power.
But the stampede in Malang’s stadium is different, she said.
“For the Kanjuruhan case, I think the problem is complex because it involves other institutions.”
She was referring to how there were other factors that lead to the stampede, including match organisation issues.
Her colleague Albertus Wahyurudhanto, who is also a commissioner, shared a similar view.
He said that not every police officer behaves badly. “In the rural area there are no problems,” he stated.
Mr Wahyurudhanto also believed that the police are under the spotlight because they are directly interfacing with the public, unlike the military.
He said: “The national police is an organisation that interacts with the public the most, every day. It is needed by the public.
“So it is natural that the public’s perception of the police is very dynamic. Sometimes, it is high but if there is a problem, it could drop drastically.”
Nevertheless, he said that police reforms are urgent, and this needs to be done starting with a revision of the 2002 police law.
Mr Rukminto of ISESS concurred, but he noted that this can only be done by the parliament.
I Wayan Sudirta, a member of parliament who oversees security issues said that the police force needs a new system and design.
“The national police need a new strategy very badly … They also need a total reform in the structure and culture of the institution,” he told CNA.
But he stopped short of saying whether the members of parliament intend to amend the 2002 law, including on potential oversight of police actions.