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Persistent police violence highlights 'ingrained' combative culture, training, activists say
The National Police chief is yet to make good on his pledge to instill a more "humane" approach to policing, as police violence remains prevalent across the country.
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An ambulance carrying the bodies of Islam Defenders Front (FPI) members leaves Kramat Jati Police Hospital in Jakarta on Dec. 8, 2020, the day after they were killed in a police shootout on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road. (Antara/Indrianto Eko Suwarso)
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hen he was appointed in early January, National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo pledged to bring change to the police force toward a more “humane” approach to law enforcement, a promise that rights activists welcomed with caution amid his reportedly spotty track record.
He now faces an uphill battle as the nation continues to see cases of police violence under his leadership.
Several cases of police brutality in cities across the nation have recently come under the public spotlight, reviving calls for law enforcement to better address an issue presumably rooted in police education.
Read also: Police violence is a big poser for next chief, says rights group
Ongoing cases
In the early morning of Feb. 25, less than a month after Listyo was installed, three people were allegedly shot dead by a policeman of the chief brigadier rank, identified only as CS, at a cafe in Cengkareng, West Jakarta.
The shooting reportedly followed a heated argument between the police officer, who was drunk, and the cafe’s employees. CS took out his firearm and shot four people, including two employees and an Army personnel who died at the scene.
