Oyos Saroso and Dicky Christanto, The Jakarta Post, Lampung, Jakarta | Tue, 02/14/2012 11:36 AM
Antara/Anang Budiono
Lampung Police chief Brig. Gen. Jodie Rooseto says that severe punishment awaited officers proven to either use or sell drugs.
The statement was made following last week’s urine tests on 45 police officers that came back positive for drug use.
Lampung Police’s narcotics division chief Sr. Comr. Edi Swasono said five of the officers were from the Bandar Lampung city police while the rest were from various police precincts throughout the province.
“We obliged all officers of all ranks, including precinct police chiefs, to undergo the tests. We need to show the public that they can rely on us when it comes to this matter,” Edi said on Tuesday.
He said police officers guilty of dealing drugs would eventually be taken to court and the users would be sent to rehabilitation.
The deputy chairman of the House of Representatives’ law and security commission, Nasir Jamil, praised the Lampung Police for initiating the tests, saying it set a good precedent for the police.
“I fully expect the Lampung Police chief to be firm in tackling this. Spare no one who has been proven to be both drug user and dealer. We need them to understand that we mean business,” he told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
Another lawmaker, Ahmad Basarah from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), expressed deep concern, saying the urine test results clearly proved that the police were not able to conduct internal reforms.
Therefore, he went on, a joint investigation by the police and the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) should be conducted to follow up on the test results.
“I will ask the National Police chief and the Lampung Police chief about this matter. I will also ask for their commitment to tackle the investigation transparently and without partiality,” he said.
Meanwhile, University of Indonesia police observer Bambang Widodo Umar said the test results were solid proof of the police’s lack of internal monitoring. He also suggested that the 45 police officers’ psychological state be tested.
“We need to find out what drives them internally; what drives them to use drugs,” he said.
However, Indonesian Police Watch (IPW) coordinator Neta S Pane said he was pessimist that the police would take firm action against colleagues proven to have used drugs.
“The Lampung Police haven’t been transparent as they chose to hide the names and ranks and come out only with the number [of offenders]. This provides enough room to doubt that they could be firm in tackling the case,” he said.
Therefore, he suggested that the National Police’s detectives division take over the investigation and question all suspects in Jakarta, to make sure there was no intervention during questioning.
Last year, 800 out of 13,500 police officers of the Aceh Police were found to have used drugs and marijuana. Many of them are currently undergoing interrogation and may face dishonorable discharge as well as jail terms.
Previously, five Yogyakarta police officers were punished for taking drugs.
