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n spite of Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama'€™s plans to equip the city'€™s Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officers with firearms for protection, the Jakarta Police said on Sunday that there was no need for such a step.

'€œThe officers don'€™t need firearms because we are here to provide backup. According to the law, if there was a situation that needed to be dealt with, or if any thugs threatened them, then the police would immediately provide backup when requested. We would even call the military, if necessary,'€ Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Rikwanto told The Jakarta Post over the telephone on Sunday.

Previously, Ahok said that Satpol PP officers needed firearms in case local communities faced armed thugs. The deputy governor gave his assurances that the officers would go through training and psychological tests before being equipped with firearms, according to kompas.com.

Currently, Home Affairs Ministerial Decree No. 26/2010 stipulates that public order officers are to only be provided with blank rounds, tasers and tear gas.

The 2010 ministerial decree was issued by Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi following a fatal incident in April of that year. Public order officers clashed with Koja residents at the shrine complex of Mbah Priuk, regarded as a prominent Muslim leader in Koja, after locals grew upset over the administration'€™s decision to clear the area. The clash resulted in the deaths of three public order officers and injured more than 200 people. The tragedy generated a mass protest against Satpol PP, which is notorious for its heavy-handed in carrying out to its duties.

Rikwanto further explained that the governor must submit a request letter to the National Police consisting of a recommendation from the local police and a letter of approval from the Home Affairs Ministry.

Contacted separately, agency head Kukuh Hadi Santoso denied that the agency was not equipped with firearms and claimed that they had been equipped with such weapons for the past five years.

'€œWe have firearms and we also have bulletproof vests. The Public Order is the enforcer of the local bylaws and it would be ridiculous if our officers could not defend themselves,'€ he told the Post.

However, Kukuh said that not all officer could possess firearms as they had to obtain permission from the Jakarta Police before they are tested at the police'€™s headquarters in South Jakarta. The officers'€™ shooting skills would be tested and they would also undergo medical and psychological examinations to determine whether they were fit to own firearms.

Furthermore, the agency had an interdependent relationship with the police and the TNI, Kukuh said, which meant that their officers did not always have to bring their firearms on missions because they mostly dealt with civilians.

'€œBut if we face thugs, our main objective is to arrest them and then hand them over to the police. This is the nature of our relationship with the police,'€ he said. (fss)