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Each district has its own crime story
JP/IpunkMake sure you catch a pickpocket or a thug before he reaches kampung Tanah Tinggi in Central Jakarta
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JP/Ipunk
Make sure you catch a pickpocket or a thug before he reaches kampung Tanah Tinggi in Central Jakarta. Otherwise you won’t be able to arrest him, even if you are a police officer.
“The thugs’ neighbors and even their mothers will come out their houses to join hands to expel the hunters. When that happens... even police officers will step back and let the criminals go,” said Hasanuddin, a 63-year-old man who has been living in Tanah Tinggi since 1962.
Tanah Tinggi subdistrict, part of Johar Baru district, is notorious for being a criminal neighborhood.
“Jambret [purse snatcher], copet [pick pocket], thief, robber, gambler, illicit alcohol and drugs dealer... any street criminal, you can find them all here,” said Hasanuddin, also the head of Community Unit (RW) IV at Tanah Tinggi subdistrict.
“Actually, it’s a lot better now, particularly after the police built the Johar Baru Police office here in 2000. But the label remains.”
He said taxi or bajaj drivers may reject passengers who want to be dropped off at this “thug hive”.
“They are scared due to the label.”
The kampung has a gloomy atmosphere. Slum dwellers cover almost all of the banks of Anak Kali Sentiong river, which divides the sub-district as well as along the banks of a railway.
Dozens of people, hanging around, playing chess or guitar along the streets and aisles, will stare at any strangers.
Central Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Ike Edwin acknowledged that the Johar Baru district was still marked as “Red Area” as the basic form of criminalities or street-crimes have been the most common in the district.
“Crimes stay in Johar Baru as it is highly and densely populated. Most of the criminals in Johar Baru are not registered residents, but illegal dwellers at the slums.”
According to 2008 data from Jakarta administration’s official website, 101,142 people lived at the 2.37 kilometer square district excluding an estimated 130,000 illegal dwellers, making Johar Baru the most dense district in Central Jakarta.
Getting rid of criminals in Johar Baru was not easy, Ike said.
“It requires a comprehensive and sustainable cooperation between the police and the administration.
“We can arrest thugs everyday, but until when? They will stay there as long as the illegal slum areas remain untouched. Besides, our personnels are insufficient and they are not only for the street thugs.”
Johar Baru may be complicated with criminals but not much commotions have happened in the area since January 2009, contrasting it with its fellow districts like Gambir and Tanah Abang.
“Police officers’ activity in Gambir and Tanah Abang are dominated by handling riots, as most of governmental headquarter offices, including the State Palace, are located in Gambir, while Tanah Abang has the House of Representatives,” Ike explained.
It could be more than five riots a day in both districts, he added.
Ike acknowledged the centralized governmental activities in Gambir had distracted the police’s focus from crimes to securing state’s objects.
About 40 percent of Gambir’s area is office complex, making its crime rate relatively lower than other districts.
Tanah Abang district has a different crime makeup. Ike said that in the Tanah Abang market alone, dozens of crimes occurred everyday, “mostly robbery and business-related crimes like fake bank notes and cheques, or deception”.
“Don’t forget, the eastern side of Jl. Sudirman is also Tanah Abang’s territory. A number of motorcycle thefts are reported almost everyday,” Ike said.
How about Menteng, the “district of upscale housing”?
“Menteng is unique. Not only because of the luxury housing, but the area also has many embassy offices as well as residences of the country’s important persons,” Ike said.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo, former President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Jakarta Police Chief Insp. Gen. Wahyono all live in Menteng.
However, it does not ensure the area is crime-free.
“Most crimes are burglaries, particularly during holidays when houses may be left empty,” Ike said.
The district of Sawah Besar may be rife with all kinds of criminals. It has been further compounded by facilities that other districts may not have: night entertainment.
There are several nightclubs, karaoke, massage parlors, bars, cafes and discotheques sprawled along the Jl. Gunung Sahari, Jl. Pangeran Jayakarta, and Jl. Mangga Besar.
“That is why the reported crime numbers in Sawah Besar on weekend is always far higher than on working days,” Ike explained.
“Drunk people tend to commit crimes like violent brawls or destroying property.” (bbs)
