T

he Jakarta Police chief position is always regarded as one of the last major steps for a rising-star general to reach the highest position at the National Police headquarters. For Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian, many people hope that he will prove to be far better than standard expectations.

We, the residents of the capital city, have high expectations of the new Jakarta police chief, who has extensive experience and an impressive track record in the war against terrorism. And we have seen convincing signs that we can expect a much safer Jakarta under Tito as the city'€™s top cop. He said he would prioritize dealing with traffic jams and the alleviation of crime, including robbery and street crime.

As the capital city, security and public order in Jakarta are the barometer for Indonesia. When Jakarta is not safe for residents, how can people expect a better situation in the regions? For years, people have felt disillusioned by the widespread presence of gangsters and petty criminals. We have little sense of safety while walking the streets, very often even when near a police station.

We are fed up with the behavior of many corrupt police officers who take any chance they get to extort money from people or make trouble for them. Very often, people are reluctant to report a crime to the police because it is not just costly, but they too can become suspects.

On traffic jams, people will not expect too much from the police because the problem is very complex, but at least they want to see a police presence to help people in facing traffic jams. He needs to seriously address security problems. According to The Economist, Jakarta is the most unsafe city among the 50 cities it surveyed.

Jakarta Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama has shown his willingness to closely work together with the police general in addressing the city'€™s chaotic traffic and other security and public order problems.

We have every confidence that Tito, who received two extraordinary rank promotions for his success in fighting terrorism in several parts of the country, will be able to prove that he is not only good in counterterrorism work, but also in serving and protecting the people, as the police slogan says.

Tito'€™s immediate test is the forthcoming Idul Fitri holiday. Tito and his officers are expected to ensure a smooth exodus, where within days millions of people will leave the city.

After sending off the seasonal travelers, another important task is to guarantee the security of the capital city, the population of which will drop to nearly half of its normal figure once the holiday nears. It is not less difficult as the crime rate, particularly robbery and burglary, usually increases, particularly in residential areas, which become almost abandoned at this time of year.

But of course, the challenges for Tito, who earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Exeter, UK, and a PhD from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, are complex because Jakarta is the center of political and economic activities of the country. Tito realizes the people'€™s high expectations of him, and he knows full well that they do not want to be disappointed, again, with the same promises made by of his predecessors on security and public safety.