For the first time in its history, the National Police has allowed residents to pick their own police chief, albeit in a lower jurisdiction.

Residents of the Laras village in Bandar Huluan district, Simalungun regency in North Sumatra, picked one of three senior non-commissioned officers to be the local police post chief.

Three candidates were given the opportunity to introduce themselves and their working program before being elected on Wednesday.

The candidates were Tua Raja Tambunan, Lambas Sianipar and G Saragih, who all hold the rank of first adjutant inspector.

In direct voting, Lambas won 80 percent from some 300 Laras villagers, who raised their hands to pick the candidate they preferred.

The election was held to replace the previous police post chief, First Adj. Insp. Kastel Sitorus, who died recently.

Simalungun Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Andi S. Taufik thanked the villagers who participated in the election and promised that he would issue a decree appointing a new police post chief in one month at the latest.

'We will consider the election result and the officers' track records in an internal meeting to determine the next police post chief,' Andi told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

'Actually, the election mechanism was not from the police book. But we consider it to be a good way to bring the public closer to the police.'

He said the election was triggered by an incident in which Dolok Pardamean Police chief Adj. Comr. Andar Siahaan was lynched on March 27.

Andar was tortured by villagers in Buntu Bayu Pane in Dolok Pardamean district, also in Simalungun, when he and three of his subordinates were trying to arrest a gambling boss.

The gambling boss' wife provoked the villagers by calling the police officers thieves. The villagers hit the police chief, who died at the crime scene.

'We do not want such an incident to happen again so residents should be involved in the selection of police chiefs to be stationed in their own villages,' Andi said.

'This way both police chief and villagers will know each other.'

Commenting on the villagers' choice, Lambas said he was ready to carry out the duty if he was appointed by the Simalungun Police leadership to be the next Laras police post chief.

'I am ready to serve the community but we will have to wait on the police leadership's decision,' he said, while thanking the villagers for their trust in him.

Local prominent figure, Mahdani Damanik, said he was satisfied with the police's way of involving local residents in selecting a new police post chief.

'This is the first time the public has been involved in selecting a police chief to be stationed in their village,' he said.

'This is a breakthrough and should be continued because it manages to foster closer relations between the police and the public.'

Meanwhile, the North Sumatra Police chief spokesman Sr. Comr. Raden Heru Prakoso supported the Simalungun Police involving local residents in this way.

'Such a policy is the first in the North Sumatra Police. Other police precincts are free to take similar steps as long as it does not violate internal police regulations,' he told the Post on Thursday afternoon.

Heru said the selection followed a request by Laras residents because the previous chief was very close with the villagers.

He added that the Simalungun Police chief responded to the request, especially after the Dolok Pardamean incident.

'Appointing a police chief by involving the public is very good because therefore both the police and the public will know and help each other,' Heru said.

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