Local organizers of the upcoming 18th Asian Games are taking security affairs seriously after setting procedures to keep the Games away from possible disruptions.

Concerns over security emerged after celebrations of Persija Jakarta’s victory in the President’s Cup soccer tournament over the weekend turned sour by acts of vandalism.

Several spots around the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) main stadium were damaged, allegedly by groups of soccer fans who went too far during the celebration. The damage, which included broken fences and gardens, cost at least Rp 150 million (US$10,500) to repair.

At least 70,000 people went to GBK for the final match.

The GBK sports complex, including the stadium, is the main venue for the Games, which will be held from Aug. 18 to Sep. 2.

Learning from the incident, the Indonesian Asian Games Organizing Committee (INASGOC) is set to apply better security management during the multisport event.

In terms of crowd control, for example, the organizers will assign a dedicated gate for spectators in order to manage their flow to and from the sporting complex. There will also be access points exclusively for athletes.

“We will separate the entrance gate for the athletes and the spectators,” INASGOC secretary-general Eris Heriyanto said on Monday.

“There will be only one access point for the spectators. This way, we will control [the spectators] effectively,” he told The Jakarta Post.

The organizers, under the general security and traffic management division led by Insp. Gen. Mochamad Iriawan, will apply standard procedures set by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

Sr. Comr. Unggul Sedyantoro, an officer in the security division, said the organizers would be very strict in allowing people to come into the GBK stadium during the opening and closing ceremonies.

“We will only allow the athletes’ buses, VVIP fleets and security vehicles — such as ambulance, fire trucks and water canons — to enter the GBK sports complex. Any other vehicles will be prohibited,” said Unggul, who, along with Iriawan, is a member of the National Police.

“Only spectators with invitations and tickets are permitted into the complex. The rule is also applied to athletes, officials and VIPs — only those who have identification cards can go inside,” he added.

Unggul also stressed that visitors would not be allowed to bring certain personal belongings into the venue.

Around 30,300 security personnel are set to be deployed during the Games, which will be held in cohosting cities Jakarta and Palembang of South Sumatra, as well as supporting West Java. Greater Jakarta alone will be guarded by 12,000 officers.

Knowing the importance of raising public awareness over security issues, the organizers will continue spreading Games-related information on various channels, including social media.

On Monday, the organizers held a coordination meeting attended by Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi, as well as Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, and other participants.

The meeting evaluated last week’s test event, which was held to measure the organizers’ ability in running the quadrennial event.

From the test event, the organizers listed problems with transportation, internet connections as well as poor coordination that needed to be addressed ahead of the Games.

Transporting athletes and officials from the athletes’ village in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, to the main venue in the Senayan area will face real challenges from the capital’s notorious traffic jams.

The organizers have at least two options to beat the traffic: use sidewalks or use TransJakarta busway lanes.

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