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Police brutality: Fundamental problems in the institution
The culture and practice of militarism in the police did not erode, it was perpetuated.
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Protesters hold a demonstration in front of the Central Java Police headquarters in Semarang on Nov. 28, 2024. They demanded a complete and transparent investigation into the shooting by a police officer of a 17-year-old high school student in the city on Nov. 24. (Antara/Aji Styawan)
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ndonesians have recently been shocked by a number of shootings involving police personnel. A police officer has been named a suspect for shooting and killing a 17-year-old high school student in Semarang, Central Java, in the early hours on Nov. 24. On the same day a farmer, who was part of a protest against a palm oil company, was shot and killed after being accused of theft by police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) personnel in West Bangka, Bangka Belitung Islands. A few days earlier, the West Sumatra Police arrested a police officer on a premeditated murder charge after he shot dead a fellow officer in a case allegedly linked to an illegal mining operation in the province.
Unfortunately, these three incidents are just the tip of the iceberg. The Indonesian people have seen many cases of violence involving police officers.
We can trace the roots of these patterns of violence and coercive measures to three main factors: the legacy of the culture of violence, lack of supervision and accountability and a silo mentality among law enforcement agencies.
During the Reform Era, the police were removed from the then Armed Forces (ABRI) and reborn as a new civil institution. However, along the way, the culture and practice of militarism did not erode, it was perpetuated.
According to United States criminal justice expert David Weiss, as long as the police are placed in a military structure, biases in duties and functions will occur. Soldiers who patrol the battlefield with the intent to kill are distinct from police officers who are tasked with protecting and serving civilians. The slow process of assimilation and demilitarization have stumped the Indonesian police in responding to civilian needs, and often cause tension in social relations with the community.
Efforts to create a police system that is more oriented toward civil supremacy were the start of a journey toward reform in National Police. Beginning with a revision of the Police Law, which resulted in Law No. 2/2002, outlining the main duties and functions of the police to be more relevant to civilians. According to the law, the role of the police is focused on three aspects, namely law enforcement, maintaining order and serving the public.
The process of implementing these functions should have also emphasized ethics, namely state ethics, institutional ethics, community ethics and personal ethics. In the context of state ethics, the police as an institution have a responsibility for maintaining national security and order. However, it is often misused for certain interests and political motives.
