Toward Professional Police

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

National Police Chief General (Pol) Listyo Sigit Prabowo gave a statement to reporters after reviewing the Covid-19 vaccination which was held at Bentara Budaya Jakarta, Jakarta,  on Thursday (1/7/2021).

In addition to their duties as the law enforcement officers, members of the National Police (Polri) also have an equally important task in coping with the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a state institution tasked with maintaining security and order, enforcing the law, as well as providing protection and services to the community, it is natural for the National Police as an organization, along with its members , to be in the public eye.

The performance of the National Police has often become the target of sarcastic jokes For example, the there are only three honest police anecdote” : General (Pol) Hoegeng Imam Santoso, a police statue, and a speed bump.

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Another anecdote is about residents who complain to the police for losing chickens, but in the end they lose cows to pay for the legal process of the chicken theft. Also, KUHP as the acronym for the Criminal Code is often used as the abbreviation of “kasih uang habis perkara” (give money, then all can be settled).

Of course, this is a difficult task for the National Police to dismiss the stigma. With a total of around 450,000 personnel, it is definitely not easy for the police leaders to change this negative image.

The assistance and support of the National Police in handling the Covid-19 pandemic has been widely appreciated by the people, including President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo,

There are a number of positive images at the National Police that can be used as the basis for improvement, one of which is in handling radicalism and terrorism, or in maintaining security and order. The assistance and support of the National Police in handling the Covid-19 pandemic has been widely appreciated by the people, including President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo,

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Police personnel prepare to carry out an operation to control and secure Eid 2021 at Polda Metro Jaya, Jakarta, Wednesday (5/5/2021).

"In addition to carrying out its main duties, the National Police have also synergized with the TNI (Indonesian Military) , doctors and health workers, ministries, institutions, local government officials, especially the health service, as well as volunteers and other supporting officers in dealing with the pandemic," said the President on Thursday (1/7/2020). 2021).

A survey conducted by Kompas’ Research and Development in January 2021 also indicated that 71 percent of respondents rated the image of the National Police as good. This percentage is better than the 62.4 percent recorded in a similar opinion poll conducted in January 2015. This positive public perception is also an important asset to improve the performance of the National Police in the future.

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The National Police Chief General (Pol) Listyo Sigit Prabowo has acknowledged that the National Police still have many weakness in carrying out its duties and responsibilities. "We are ready to accept a correction by opening a complaint room which we connect with external supervisors, or the public can report directly. It will definitely be processed," Listyo said in an exclusive interview with Kompas on Wednesday (30/6/2021).

The willingness of the National Police chief to accept this correction needs to be followed with the improvement of the professionalism within the National Police in handling the complaints from residents. Bearing in mind, during an era of openness like now, of course it is the quality that matters most.

Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan

Police officers carry out sterilization and security at the Immanuel Church, Jakarta, on Friday (2/4/2021).

Outstanding police officers deserve respect, and those who abuse their power must be punished. A thorough improvement is a necessity, because the task of the police will be even more difficult in the future. Otherwise, the satirical anecdotes against the police will not disappear. Happy Bhayangkara (Police) day.

(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi).