The National Police: Between idealism and reality

Imanuddin Razak ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Tue, 07/01/2008 10:25 AM  |  Headlines

The recent spate of national headlines on major economic, social and political events may have led us, the Indonesian people, to forget that the National Police (Polri) celebrates its 62nd anniversary today.

We are so preoccupied with daily life that we may see symbolic events, such as the annual police anniversary, as pure ritual, unless the police force can offer "above-average" achievements to mark the event.

It is interesting to note the results of a recent poll by Kompas daily, that questioned the professionalism of the police force, which is only one year younger than the republic itself.

The poll found that 50.6 percent of 844 respondents questioned said the image of the police was bad, while 46.7 percent said to the contrary.

Concerning the way the police dealt with student protesters, the response was more negative, with 61.3 percent saying the police were unprofessional, while only 37.0 percent thought the opposite.

Respondents' comments on police handling of corruption and human rights violations and of cases allegedly involving state, military and police officials were worse; respectively 74.8 percent, 74.3 percent and 76.9 percent said they were dissatisfied with police performance.

Poll results cannot give the complete picture on police performance, still, the results could help promote the commitment to professionalism that the police made after their separation from the Indonesian Military in 2000.

Results reflect the poor image of the police, especially on their slow response to the recent violence of the Islam Defenders Front against the peaceful protest of the National Alliance for the Freedom of Faith and Religion. The investigation into the September 2004 murder of rights activist Munir Said Thalib was also considered slow moving.

The poor performance list was extended by the chronic corrupt practices of police on the street and during the processing of official documents in police stations. The global graft watchdog, Transparency International, said in its 2007 report that of the 14 government and public institutions surveyed, the Indonesian police was the most corrupt public institution in the country.

However, it would not be fair to say the police did not achieve anything to mark their 2008 anniversary.

Despite shortcomings, the police had the courage to name and arrest the former deputy chief of the State Intelligence Agency Maj. Gen. (ret.) Muchdi Purwopranjono after nearly four years of investigation and revelations by witnesses during the court proceedings of the two defendants, former Garuda Indonesia pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto and former Garuda president Indra Setiawan.

Police willingness to put their own house in order was also confirmed by the high-profile arrest and prosecution of former police chief Gen. (ret.) Rusdihardjo earlier this year over alleged corruption during his tenure as Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia.

Some critics, including those within the police, have said that a huge overhaul would be needed to make it the ideal, professional institution that every Indonesian dreams of. But this should not prevent the force from improving itself, albeit step by step.

There is still a huge gap between public expectations and reality. But as long as the police force remains committed to improving its performance and professionalism, we can still hope to expect more from it in the future.

Rome was not built in a day and excellence can only come from continuous improvement. Happy 62nd anniversary, Indonesian Police.

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