Bagus BT Saragih and Ina Parlina, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono praised the National Police for their outstanding performance in enforcing the law and maintaining security and public order, despite certain allegations plaguing the force, such as graft, impunity and torture.
"Since their establishment in 1946, the police have dedicated themselves to the state. We are all proud of their service as law enforcers and servants of the people," Yudhoyono said in his remarks during the celebration of the corps' 67th anniversary at the National Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) headquarters in Depok, West Java, on Monday.
Yudhoyono also called on the police to improve their professional expertise in order to cope with today's more sophisticated, white-collar crimes. "With better skills and capabilities, the police will be able to deal with all types of crimes, ranging from street crime, smuggling, illegal logging and corruption to transnational crimes, such as terrorism and narcotics," he said.
The praise, however, did not match the reality that the National Police remains one of the most corrupt state institutions in the country.
Fourteen years after their separation from the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police remains one of the few state institutions that has yet to be reformed. One of the most virulent problems within the institution is corruption.
Currently, former National Police Traffic Corps chief Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo is standing trial for his role in a driving simulator procurement graft case that caused state losses of Rp 144.9 billion (US$14.63 million).
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has also indicted Djoko for money laundering after it found that the disgraced police general had allegedly purchased assets in the names of his relatives and wives.
Last week, the force's Criminal Investigations Directorate detained two middle-ranking officers for planning to bribe an unidentified official at the National Police. The officers – identified as Adj. Sr. Comr. ES and Comr. JAP – were caught carrying Rp 200 million ($20,200) in cash into the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta on Friday.
Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) said the arrests highlighted the deep-seated graft culture within the force.
The force has also been dogged by allegations of torture and abuse. A study by the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) found that the number of torture cases committed by members of the National Police, Indonesian Military (TNI) and prison staff was on the rise.
Muhammad Isnur of Jakarta's Legal Aid Institute (LBH) said the allegations of torture further eroded public trust in the police. "It has become common practice for police to torture suspects, make false arrests or ask for bribes," he said.
A recent study by the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) showed that the police's failure to provide justice, particularly for minority groups, had encouraged more Indonesians to resort to mob violence to resolve disputes.
The survey stated that more than 30 percent of respondents said they would take the law into their own hands rather than trust law enforcers to impose "just" punishments on perpetrators.
Last week, the IPW released a report showing that relations between the police and the public were continuing to deteriorate. The IPW said the worsening relations were indicated by the growing number of conflicts between members of the public and police personnel.
The report said that in the first half of 2013, 58 police assets were damaged or torched by civilians in 14 incidents, a higher rate than the aggregate numbers reported in 2012. The damaged assets included 13 precincts, 25 motorcycles, eight cars and two official residences.
"Most [of these] attacks on police facilities stemmed from public frustration with police arrogance, repression and their overwhelming tendency to side with businesspeople. The public seems to turn to police only at the point when they have lost all hope for justice," IPW chairman Neta S. Pane said.
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar responded that everybody was entitled to their own opinion. "Information from analysts or activists about the police need to be verified but all the inputs should be taken positively to help us improve," he said.