Police action to keep Bali secure for Idul Fitri

Dicky Christanto ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Denpasar   |  Fri, 09/12/2008 10:53 AM  |  Bali

Bali Police have pledged to maintain security in the resort island during the upcoming Idul Fitri holiday season by organizing a joint operation called Ketupat 2008, police spokesman Sr. Comr. A.S. Reniban said.

Reniban said the joint operation, planned for Sept. 24 to Oct. 9, will involve the deployment of 1,500 police officers. This year's Idul Fitri holiday will take place on Oct. 1 and 2.

"We will prioritize the attendance of uniformed officers to minimize possible violations of the law and road accidents," he told reporters Thursday.

He said 69 road accidents took place during the Idul Fitri holiday last year, claiming 28 lives and severely injuring 38 people.

He said the police planned to set up security posts throughout the island. "These posts will be open 24 hours a day so that we can response immediately to any problems on the streets," he added.

Reniban said besides preventing road accidents, the police have also prepared themselves to face other threats -- such as burglary and gambling -- that according to police records have often occurred during the holiday season.

Last year 49 gambling cases and 26 burglary cases were tackled during the Idul Fitri holiday season.

He added besides the uniformed officers, different teams will also be deployed, in cooperation with the local administration law and order agencies, to secure all the port entrances to Bali.

Up to now there are four main gateways to Bali, namely Gilimanuk sea port that connects Bali with Java, Ubung bus terminal in Denpasar, Padang Bai sea port that connects Bali with West Nusa Tenggara and Ngurah Rai international airport.

He explained the police have also added one new location, namely the Celukan Bawang sea port, to be monitored during this year's Idul Fitri holiday season. Celukan Bawang is located in Buleleng regency, around three hours drive north from the island capital of Denpasar.

"This is to prevent suspicious people from entering the island especially during holiday season, when a large number of people enter the island in a very short period of time," he said.

He added a group of intelligence officers was also deployed to monitor threats to law and order during the holiday session. "We try to make every effort as Bali is the country's number one tourism destination," he added.

Head of Bali Tourism Agency Gede Nurjaya praised the police plan, saying that it also offered security to tourists visiting the island.

"We support the police plan and encourage tourists to observe the existing regulations," he said.

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