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Police bomb squads deployed to secure churches on Christmas Eve in Jakarta
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A member of the bomb squad (Gegana) secures Jakarta Cathedral in Central Jakarta on Sunday. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
T
he Jakarta Police are safeguarding Christmas celebrations by deploying police officers as well as members of the bomb squad (Gegana) in all churches across Jakarta during Christmas Eve.
"Just like in previous years, we will ensure each police precinct secure all churches," Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said. He said the security measures were to anticipate potential issues, including the possibility of terror attacks. "We will also deploy Gegana teams [to the churches]," he said.
Argo said the security of each church would depend on the local police headquarters. "[The church services] are not the same; some on Saturday, some on Saturday night or Sunday night. But we will keep a record of everything," he said.
Argo said there were several churches that needed special attention due large congregations, such as Jakarta Cathedral in Central Jakarta. In addition to deploying personnel, police will also install security equipment, such as metal detectors, at the entrances of some of the churches.
On Christmas Eve, National Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian and Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto are scheduled to monitor the security measures directly. (wit)
