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Police commission says it is a toothless tiger
The National Police Commission (Kompolnas) has attributed its failure to boost the performance of the police force to a lack of power
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The National Police Commission (Kompolnas) has attributed its failure to boost the performance of the police force to a lack of power.
"We don't have any authority like the Corruption Eradication Commission, the Judicial Commission and other independent commissions. We can't investigate or detain people," commission member Adnan Pandupraja said Tuesday.
"If we want Kompolnas to have optimal results in improving police performance, it should be more independent. Police officials should be removed from its board. Its building should also be separated from the National Police headquarters," he said.
"The most important thing is it should be given the authority to investigate major cases."
Critics have said the commission, established three years ago, remains ineffective in boosting the performance of the police force and should be made into an independent organization.
"The results so far remain minimal. How can the commission work effectively and optimally in monitoring the police if the commission's executives are police officials and ministers?" Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) executive Neta Pane told The Jakarta Post.
"We can't expect much from a commission like that. Therefore, it should be restructured or it will continue to be a useless organization."
He said the ICW had had high hopes for the commission when the government approved its establishment.
"But we began to doubt its effectiveness after we found out who was on its board," he said.
"We hoped Kompolnas would improve police performance by about 10 percent in the first year of its establishment but it failed. We are now pessimistic about the commission's ability to achieve results."
The government established the commission in May 2005 in an effort to help reform the police. The commission is defined by law as an independent body working under and answering to the president.
The board consists of three Cabinet ministers -- the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, the home minister and the justice and human rights minister -- and six police experts and public figures.
Its duties include assisting the president to determine the direction of relevant policies as well as forwarding recommendations to the president regarding the appointment and dismissal of the National Police chief.
Other responsibilities include advising the president on budgeting, human resource development, police infrastructure development, improvement of police professionalism and independence and how to accommodate public feedback related to police performance.
Neta said the commission had turned out to be little more than a public complaints department.
"It has not solved crucial problems within the police, such as thuggery," he said, adding the ICW had filed a complaint with the House of Representatives and the National Police about this issue and received no response.
Neta said making the commission an independent institution would give it the necessary power to carry out its tasks.
Adnan said the commission members had tried hard to carry out their duties.
"For example, we assisted victims of the clash between students and police at the National University. We asked for leniency in paying medical costs and for arrested students to be released from police custody," he said.
Adnan said the commission was establishing branches across the country to take public feedback and complaints about the police.
The commission signed a memorandum of understanding Tuesday for the management of this program with the Partnership for Governance Reform.
Partnership executive director Mohammad Sobary said his NGO would provide Rp 2.6 billion (US$279,500) to assist the commission in establishing local branches.
"We support all Kompolnas' activities, including seminars and training, that aim to reform police performance. We basically support institutions that aim to build good governance," he said. (trw)
