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Systemic violence pressures police chief to implement promised reform
Recent cases of bullying and assault among police officers have put a spotlight on a systemic culture of violence in the institution, with calls growing for the National Police chief to mobilize his reform plans.
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A protester sits in a road as tear gas fired by police obscures the scene behind him on Oct. 8. 2020, during a demonstration against the job creation bill in Harmoni, Central Jakarta. Public trust in the National Police has been declining in recent years, with incidents of police brutality and internal bullying highlighting an institutional culture of violence. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama) (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
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everal cases highlighting systemic bullying and violence within the police force have shined a glaring spotlight on the law enforcement institution and added pressure on the National Police chief to implement his police reform agenda.
One recent case that illustrated the worrying trend in the police occupational culture involved Adj. Sr. Comr. Syaiful Anwar, the chief of the Nunukan Police in North Kalimantan, who assaulted subordinate SL by tackling him to the ground and then kicking him.
The incident, which was captured on viral CCTV footage, occurred as SL was helping a woman set up a table for an event at North Kalimantan Regional Police headquarters on Oct. 21, according to North Kalimantan Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Budi Rachmat as reported by Kompas.com.
SL had been tasked with maintaining the Nunukan Police station’s internet connection during a virtual meeting but had left his post, said Budi, explaining how the incident unfolded.
He added that North Kalimantan Police chief Insp. Gen. Bambang Kristiono had suspended Syaiful as the Nunukan Police chief while he was under investigation by the North Kalimantan Police’s internal affairs division. The North Kalimantan Police were also investigating SL for allegedly sharing the CCTV footage of the incident.
A separate video circulated widely on social media shows SL apologizing for neglecting his duties and for uploading the CCTV footage.
In another case pointing to a workplace culture of abuse and violence, Chief Brig. MN of the Wanasaba Police in East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, allegedly shot dead First Brig. HT of the East Lombok Police’s public relations division on Monday.
