Bali Police pioneers public information service unit

The Bali Police has become the first state institution in the province to establish an Information and Documentation Management Unit (PPID).

Since the law regarding the transparency of public information was brought into effect in 2010, every state institution is obliged to establish a PPID.

Adj. Sr. Comr. Sri Harmiti, head of public information for the Bali Police, said Wednesday that the institution had established its PPID in 2011, as required by the law.

“The PPID has the responsibility to serve the public in relation to information inquiries, as well as collecting and processing the information,” she said.

Such inquiries include data on public order and security (kamtibmas), notification letters on the improvement of police investigations (SP2HP), procedures to apply for certificates of good behavior (SKCK), fingerprints, as well as data on criminal cases and the procedures to enroll in the police academy.

“We cannot disclose any information to the public that could hamper the process of an ongoing investigation, state secrets, or the identities of whistleblowers, complainants and witnesses, because they are protected by law,” she said. These information units are not only found at Bali Police headquarters, where there are 20 personnel to manage the information, police headquarters in the municipality and regencies across the province also have similar units, staffed by a total of 68 personnel.

Since its establishment in 2011, the Bali Police information unit has served 76 direct inquiries and 191 inquiries through its online system.

“We will also issue a customer service questionnaire to ensure satisfaction with our service,” said Adj. Comr. Made Swanjaya, a data collection and processing officer.

Agus Astapa, deputy chairman of the provincial information commission, hailed the establishment of the Bali Police’s PPID.

He explained that if inquirers did not obtain the information they needed from the state institution, they could file a report to the commission within 40 days.

“They could file a lawsuit to the administrative court if they are claiming against a state institution.” Before filing such a lawsuit, the inquirer must have filed a complaint to the PPID of the related institution, the relevant PPID then has 10 days to provide the information.

If the PPID failed to provide the information, the inquirer could lodge another complaint, and then the PPID had seven days to clarify.

If this second complaint also failed, the inquirer could file a report to the commission.

“However, this has never happened, because the problem is generally solved through mediation,” Astapa said.

Should any PPID fail to disclose appropriate information from the public, penalties include one to two years in jail and a fine of Rp 5 million (US$530) to Rp 8 million.

“Any inquirer who misuses the information obtained will also be punished,” Astapa added.