There Is Still Much Room for the Polri to Improve

Approximately 62.1 percent of respondents in a survey conducted by Kompas believe the National Police have a good reputation. But there is still room for improvement.

Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo

Motorcyclists stop by the roadside in front of a billboard marking the 74th anniversary of Bhayangkara (National Police) Day outside the Jakarta Metropolitan Police headquarters on Tuesday (30/6/2020). National Police Day, which falls on 1 July, commemorates the founding of the Indonesian National Police under Presidential Regulation No. 11/1946.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - Seventy-four years since its establishment on Wednesday (1/7/2020), according to many people, the National Police (Polri) have a good reputation. However, there is still much room for improvement to ensure the consistency of its reform. The more intensive use of information technology (IT) can be a solution to improve services for the community.

A poll conducted by Kompas Research and Development on June 23-25, 2020 indicated that the 62.1 percent of respondents considered that the image or the reputation of the police to be good. Compared to the results of the periodic opinion polls conducted from April 2015 to June 2020, the perception in the latest survey is not the best, but not the worst either. The best was recorded in April 2018 when the percentage reached 72.2 percent, while the lowest was in April 2015, when it reached 55 percent.

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From the June 2020 poll, young millennials (under 30 years old) are seen as the most skeptical group of respondents. For example, this group is the largest compared to the adult millennial age group (31-40), generation X (41-52) and baby boomers (53 years and over) which agreed to the perception that "the police are easily bribed".

As many as 48.8 percent of the young millennial generation said they agreed with such a perception. The percentage is above that of the adult millennials (36.6 percent), gen X (34.5 percent), and baby boosters (25 percent).

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

An armed police officer wearing a face mask stands guard over nine suspects, also wearing face masks in accordance with the COVID-19 protocols, who were presented along with evidence in a drug network case on Monday (29/6/2020) at the Jakarta Metropolitan Police headquarters.

Gadjah Mada University sociologist and executive director of the Youth Studies Center, Oki Rahadianto Sutopo, when contacted from Jakarta on Tuesday (30/6), said the perception of the young millennial group about the police should be considered a critical attitude, which also indicates that the millennials want some improvements for the benefits of all.

"It does not mean they don’t have any knowledge. They may have more sources of knowledge and they may be more connected globally. So, they should be seen as a generation that is knowledgeable and critical, "said Oki.

The chairman of the presidium of the Indonesian Police Watch, Neta S Pane, said, in general, the National Police continued to make some improvements from year to year. However, what was perceived by some people, especially the millennial generation, is also true, he added.

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With the help of information technology, according to him, the millennials can easily check positive or negative news about the National Police in many aspects. With the information technology that continues to evolve, Polri\'s heavy task is to consistently improve the behavior of its members.

To minimize the potential for misappropriation, according to Neta, the National Police should increasingly adopt technology to improve its services for the community, such as in obtaining a driver\'s license. With technology, the chance for police to meet with the community can be reduced, thereby minimizing the potential for fraud, such as bribery.

Proof of the National Police

The head of the public relations division of the National Police, Inspector General Raden Prabowo Argo Yuwono, said Polri appreciated the trust of the public in the police institution as it can serve as an encouragement to improve performance. Maintaining the safety and improving quality of life of the community are two main things that would be further improved by the police, he added.

Meanwhile, with regard to negative perceptions about the National Police, Argo said various steps needed to be taken to show the public that such an understanding was not true. For this reason, the police should perform better and more professionally in the future.

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KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Semarang Police officers wear masks as they cook at a community kitchen on Thursday (18/6/2020) in the Kota Lama area in Semarang, Central Java. The city police have been running several community kitchens in recent months to provide food for local residents in need.

A member of the National Police Commission, Bekto Suprapto, said that public perception, including those made by the millennial generation, might not be neutral. However, there are still some members of the National Police who still accept bribes and they must receive a disciplinary measure from internal police inspectors. The bribe givers should also be cracked down.

"The National Police must be willing to accept these perceptions for introspection and at the same time strive to change them. The police should prove that the people don’t need to pay when dealing with them, "said Bekto.

So far the police have been more defensive when there is criticism from the public.

Police observer from the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies, Bambang Rukminto, said that consistency in law enforcement is needed to maintain the public trust in the National Police. Polri must stand above all groups or above pragmatic interests, he added.

Reforms within the National Police must continue to be carried out structurally, starting with the leadership of the National Police. According to Bambang, the National Police has strong capital to continue to improve themselves, namely Law No. 2/2002 on the Indonesian National Police which gives great authority to the police to maintain security and public order. However, the National Police need to involve the public to take part in supervision.

"So far the police have been more defensive when there is criticism from the public. This is unfortunate,” he said.

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Police officers wear face masks on Wednesday (25/3/2020) as they drive through Pasar Baru in Central Jakarta.

Recently, the National Police has been criticized by civil society because the actions of some Polri personnel are seen as disrupting freedom of expression and democracy.

Criticism has arisen, for example, in connection with an alleged intimidation made by the police personnel in Sula regency, North Maluku against Ismail Ahmad (41) who uploaded Gus Dur\'s jokes in the social media which said that there were only three honest policemen, “the statues of cops, sleeping cops [speed bumps], and [incorruptible late National Police chief] General Hoegeng.”

In connection with the incident, the Sula regional police head was reprimanded by the North Maluku Regional Police chief.

Regarding freedom of expression, which has become the spotlight of the people, Argo said that the police will do better to protect democracy.