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emang, a nightlife spot and expatriate haunt in South Jakarta, has been hit by a recent wave of criminal activity.

The most recent incident happened on March 5, when a motorcycle gang rampaged through Jl. Kemang Raya, causing damage to property and parked vehicles while injuring at least four bystanders.

Less than 24 hours earlier in the early morning of March 4, a member of the National Police’s Mobile Brigade was found bleeding outside DRONK restaurant and bar, a victim of an alleged mob beating.

In both cases, the police relied on CCTV footage from 10 cameras owned by locals and nearby businesses. Of the 10, only one was pointed at the scene of the crime.

According to South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Mardiaz Kusin Dwihananto, the police had requested additional CCTV cameras to be placed on a number of streets in Jakarta.

“The National Police chief made the request for additional cameras to the city administration, but [city administration] officials said they were prioritizing procurement for other purposes,” said Mardiaz as quoted by Kompas.com.

The lack of surveillance cameras has also hindered an investigation into a carjacking on Feb. 18, when a musician driving home from a gig at Sky Rooftop was accosted at gunpoint by six men claiming to be members of the police. The six are currently on the run and listed on the police’s most wanted list.

Meanwhile, on Feb. 21, a man was found bound, gagged and naked on Jl. Kemang Timur V, who was reportedly soliciting sex from a person he met online, but was instead robbed.

According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the Jakarta Police recorded 43,842 crimes in 2016, the highest of any province in the nation.

During the year, the Jakarta Police recorded 5,969 cases of fraud, 5,569 cases of drug abuse, 3,302 cases of aggravated robbery, 2,941 cases of motor vehicle theft, 2,432 cases of embezzlement, 1,642 cases of theft, 1,601 cases of assault, 1,324 cases of domestic assault and 743 cases of robbery with violence.

After the spate of criminal activity in the area, a floor manager of a bar in Kemang who wished to remain anonymous said customers were on edge.

“We have CCTV cameras and security guards posted on our premises, but they’re more for our own and our customers’ protection,” said the manager, adding that problems on the streets were outside of their boundaries.

However, Kemang’s residential areas seem to have escaped the spike in criminality, with residents saying the neighborhood had not experienced anything of the sort.

Birgitta Hogendoorn, a Dutch expatriate who moved to the neighborhood in Nov. 2015, said she was very lucky to find a relatively green place where traffic did not pass frequently.

“We never noticed anything unusual and we don’t even have a guard. I’ve heard of incidents but none happened here,” said Birgitta, adding that she did not plan on moving because of the recent criminal activity.

According to Birgitta, the lack of additional CCTV cameras would not be an issue if adequate security personnel could keep the peace.

“Cameras are always a breach of privacy. If you have cameras and you’re not going to follow up on it, what’s the use of the cameras? You will need the police or other people who are going to do something about it.” (jlm)