TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Salatiga Police to amplify security for 12 Churches during Christmas
Change Size
On alert -- Tasikmalaya Police personnel carry out security surveillance ahead of Christmas celebrations at Kristen Pasundan Church in Tasikmalaya, West Java, on Dec. 22. (Antara/Adeng Bustomi)
T
o ensure the safety and comfort of Christians celebrating Christmas on Sunday, the Salatiga Police in Central Java have vowed to tighten security in 12 Churches thought to be vulnerable to possible attack.
Salatiga Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Happy Perdana Yudianto said Salatiga had 86 churches spread across the city. However, the security of the 12 Churches is to be prioritized because they will house larger congregations compared to the other churches in the city.
"The number of members in each of the 12 churches will be more than 1,000 people. Furthermore, they are located on main roads and so they are vulnerable to traffic congestion and may become targets for criminal acts," he said on Saturday.
(Read also: Muslims lambast Christmas service raid in Bandung)
To strengthen security, each police post will be guarded by at least 20 police officers and personnel from other institutions, including the Salatiga Transportation Agency and the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP).
Surakarta Police operation division chief Adj. Comr. Saeri said the police had also cooperated with mass organization to secure the celebration.
"An hour before the Christmas prayers begin, we will carry out a security screening to check everyone's belongings. We will also sterilize areas near the houses of worship," he said. (fac)
