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Jakarta Post

Administration, police gear up to secure city during annual exodus

The city administration and the Jakarta Police are coordinating to secure the city during the upcoming Idul Fitri exodus, which begins late next week

Dewanti A. Wardhani (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Thu, July 9, 2015

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Administration, police gear up to secure city during annual exodus

T

he city administration and the Jakarta Police are coordinating to secure the city during the upcoming Idul Fitri exodus, which begins late next week.

Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama said that the city would secure vacant lots owned by the city and the state to prevent migrants from constructing makeshift homes in Jakarta.

Every year, millions return to their hometowns to spend Idul Fitri with their families in a tradition known as mudik. After mudik, residents often bring their relatives to Jakarta hoping for a better life.

'€œWe will secure vacant lots owned by the city administration or the state from being illegally occupied. Newcomers often set up makeshift homes in vacant lots if they have nowhere to live,'€ Ahok announced during a roll call with the city administration and the Jakarta Police at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta on Wednesday.

The city administration expects 3.76 million residents to participate in the annual exodus this year and more than 70,000 newcomers after Idul Fitri, more than the 68,537 migrants that arrived after mudik last year.

'€œWe welcome those who want to move to Jakarta, as long as they have a job waiting for them or a relative who can take responsibility for them,'€ Ahok said.

Ahok said that district and subdistrict heads must also continue to work during the Idul Fitri holiday to record data on all illegal residences and carry out evictions.

Ahok went on to say that the city, in cooperation with the Jakarta Police, would carry out an operation targeting non-Jakartans in the capital. The operation, will be carried out by the city'€™s Civil Registry Agency to collect the data of non-Jakarta ID holders. Those who fail to provide documents such as a letter of reference and police clearance letters from their hometowns may be fined or jailed.

Furthermore, Jakarta Police Chief Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian said that his personnel would be on alert during the holidays to keep a lookout for potential crimes in neighborhoods. Tito said that his officers would cooperate with district and subdistrict heads to list empty homes during the Idul Fitri holiday.

'€œRobbers often operate during the Idul Fitri holiday because home owners are away for days returning to their hometowns. We are currently mapping potential neighborhoods where robbers might operate, and we will deploy our officers to those area,'€ Tito said at the same event.

The police, he went on, would also secure the takbiran (recital of '€œGod is Great'€) parade on the eve of Idul Fitri, and fine residents who violate traffic regulations such as sitting in the back of trucks, riding motorcycles without helmets or driving recklessly.

'€œIn total, we will deploy 6,642 officers to secure Greater Jakarta during Idul Fitri,'€ Tito said.

Separately, newly-inaugurated Transportation Agency head Andri Yansyah said that his agency would deploy 2,025 officers to manage traffic during the mudik period until July 27. He said that the agency would open a hotline that residents could contact for any complaints or questions at 3520778. All buses, he said, must undergo a road-worthiness test by the agency before travel.

'€œWe have prepared road worthiness test posts in six terminals, which are Kalideres in West Jakarta, Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta and Kampung Rambutan, Rawamangun, Pulo Gebang and Pulo Gadung in East Jakarta,'€ Andri said at City Hall on Wednesday.

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