Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – Even the homeless, beggars and other unfortunates categorized as people with "social problems" can become sources of extra income for law enforcement officers who instigate raids in the name of public order.

According to vagrants that have been raided several times, some Public Order officers did not hesitate to ask for money in exchange for a quick release.

"The officers do not usually set the amount. It depends on what we have when we are raided. It can Rp 50,000 [US$5.5] or Rp 100,000," Wasmin, 39, told The Jakarta Post recently.

Wasmin is a "permanent" resident of Juanda train station in Central Jakarta, where she has stayed for the past 20 years after her parents were evicted from their house in an alley close to the nearby Pasar Baru shopping area. She works as a jockey for car owners using the restricted three-in-one thoroughfares in the city.

Sometimes the officers search people's pockets to find money or cell phones, Wasmin said.

This type of extortion is even more effective because of the underlying threat of being taken off the streets and transported to social institutions, such as the one in Kedoya, West Jakarta, or others in Bekasi or Tangerang.

One homeless man, M. Amiron, 60, said he had been raided several times, and Public Order officers usually asked how much money he had (in exchange for his release). Once Amiron was defenseless because he had no money, and was taken to a nursing home in Radio Dalam, South Jakarta.

Asked to comment on the cases, Jakarta Public Order Agency chief Effendi Anas denied that his personnel were involved in such practices, saying that the raids were conducted by the Social Affairs Agency. "We conduct the raids using the social agency's vehicles and put [those being raided] in social institutions," he said.

Wasmin said many of her friends could not stand staying in the social institutions, adding that even though they were given food regularly, they were cut off from all opportunities to make money. "It is troublesome when we have no money at all."

Wati, a 20-year-old mother of two, said that some of her friends had been sent to social institutions where they received training in various skills, such as sewing and cooking.

"After that they were given tools to support their skills and start their own businesses. But many of us cannot stand staying there because we cannot work," she said.

Both Wati and Wasmin acknowledged that it was easy to get out of the institution, as long as they had complete documents and identification. Unfortunately, even though they were born and grew up in Jakarta, they do not have such documents.

"None of the district or sub district heads acknowledge our existence. As you can see, we live in this station," said Wasmin.

Her earnings as a three-in-one jockey are not nearly enough for her to rent a house, she said. "The cheapest house rentals in Jakarta are around Rp 350,000 a month, while I don't have fixed income to secure the rent, not to mention food for me and my children" Wasmin said.

She added that her income as a three-in-one jockey all depended on generosity of car owners. "I usually only get around Rp 8,000, but sometimes if I am lucky a car owner will pay Rp 25,000 for a ride, but I have to spend at least Rp 2,000 for transport back home."