Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The National Police has said it will look into its officers' habits of moonlighting following reports that one of its officers had been working in a side job on the night he was murdered, raising concerns of a possible link between a series of attacks on policemen and officers and poor welfare.

Brig Sukardi had been working as a guard for six trucks carrying elevator parts when he was shot and killed outside the Corruption Eradication Commission building in Kuningan, South Jakarta on Monday night last week. His widow, Tirta Sari, said last week her husband had been taking on side jobs because his police salary was not enough.

"Our first child is at college so my husband would often look for extra jobs he could do to pay for his college fees," Tirta was quoted by Tempo.co as saying.

National Police Chief Timur Pradopo said he will conduct an investigation to see if police were following service regulations in doing their tasks.

However, Timur firmly rejected the notion there was any link between the shootings and police funding, saying the police were doing their best to use the funds allocated by the government.

The police chief's statements were in contrast to remarks made by the force's public relations chief, Ir. Gen. Ronny F. Sompie who said over the weekend the police budget needed to be increased. Ronny said low salaries had triggered a culture among police officers to take side jobs to earn extra money.

"It seems that there is no consistency when it comes to funding the police force. Society can't ask for protection but provide insufficient resources to provide that protection," he said during a public discussion on Saturday, as quoted by Okezone.com

"Why had Sukardi taken on a guarding job while off duty? We must look into that. It shows us how our members are doing a very difficult job in very difficult circumstances," Ronny said.

The PR chief went on to say the Rp 40 trillion ($3.5 billion) budget allocated by the government in the annual budget was not enough to provide officers with adequate equipment, making them more vulnerable in carrying their high-risk public service tasks.

"In terms of finances, vests and body and head protectors are only available for members with special tasks such as the anti-terror unit Densus 88. They're ready to fight. But if you look at traffic police officers, they are not equipped to deal with emergencies or life-threatening situations."

He pointed out that police forces in neighboring countries such as Singapore were given all the necessary equipment to carry out their duties efficiently.

A member of House Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, backed Ronny's statements and conceded the operational budget for the police was a cause for concern and the matter had been addressed, explaining several senior offices had raised the matter recently.

"I have heard several police chiefs from different regions around the country say they were worried over the lack of arms available to them among other shortages," Herman said on Monday.

However, Ronny's statements quickly prompted harsh criticism from police watchdog Indonesia Police Watch (IPW), which, in a report by Merdeka.com, argued the institution has seen a 1,000 percent budget increase over the past 10 years.

"A much larger increase compared to the military whose budget has only increased by 450 percent over the same period," IPW chairman Neta S. Pane explained.

Neta added that the police force had received sufficient funds but had exhausted their budget on programs that were not necessary. "The National Police are not using their budget effectively, it's not efficient," he said, adding the complaints were irrational.

"It does not make sense that the police feel they have been undermined in terms of finances. The budget for the National Police has increased every year. The problem is the police have been careless in their use of the consistently increasing budget. They have the tendency to squander their funds on useless projects."

House Commission III chairman Gede Pasek Suardika also voiced a similar opinion, emphasizing the police's current budget is far larger compared to the budget allocated back when they were still under the same institution as the Army.

"Back when they were still in the army, the police's budget was very small. Today, it is over Rp 40 trillion," Gede said on Sunday. He said the national police should be able to maximize its funds and at the same time revamp its graft-laden equipment procurement sector.

In the most recent case, the National Police Traffic Corps chief Insp. Gen Djoko Susilo was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for his alleged involvement in a corrupt driving simulator procurement project which reportedly cost the state Rp 121 billion in losses.

In response to the controversy surrounding the police budget, House Speaker Marzuki Alie called on the police force to openly discuss the subject with the government.

"If indeed the budget is insufficient then ask for a revised, increased amount and propose it to the House of Representatives. As long as there is an explanation for the additional budget, I think the House would be sympathetic," Marzuki said on Monday.

According to him the government has been working to find savings across a number of ministries and departments but that did not mean they would not consider an increase for the police force. "The House supports programs designed to ensure the public's security," he said.