PRIME NEWS POST 

The INDONESIAN,(Medan)— The deliberation of the Draft Law on the Indonesian National Police, which is intended to amend Law No. 2 of 2002 concerning the Indonesian National Police, is viewed as a strategic opportunity to strengthen the national security system — including the funding aspect required to optimize police duties at the regional level.

Dr. Ikhwaluddin Simatupang, S.H., M.Hum., a social, political, and legal observer from North Sumatra and Chairman of Polri Watch, stated that the draft law currently being discussed by the House of Representatives should provide a clear legal framework for both Regional Police Headquarters (Polda) and Resort Police Headquarters (Polres) to submit proposals for specific funding needs through the Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD).

According to him, such financial support is necessary to strengthen various police operations, including routine patrols, street crime prevention, area security, and the handling of various evolving criminal activities across the country.

“The revised Police Law must address real needs on the ground. Different regions face distinct security challenges, which is why flexibility and regulatory support are essential to allow the police to access additional funding sources that are legal, transparent, and accountable,” Ikhwaluddin said.

The former Director of the Medan Legal Aid Institute (LBH) for the 2006–2009 period explained that crimes such as armed robbery, violent theft, theft of construction materials, and other forms of street crime remain serious threats in many regencies and cities throughout Indonesia.

This situation, he added, causes public anxiety in carrying out daily activities — whether working, doing business, traveling, or leaving their homes and property unattended.

“Legally, the mandate to provide protection, public service, and to maintain security and public order rests with the Indonesian National Police.

However, creating a safe and conducive environment is also part of the regional government’s responsibility to ensure public welfare,” he emphasized.

A similar view was expressed by Drs. M. Akbar Siddik Surbakti, a North Sumatra socio-political observer, former member of the Deli Serdang Regency Regional House of Representatives, and Secretary-General of Polri Watch.

According to Siddik Surbakti, crime characteristics and vulnerability levels vary from one region to another. Consequently, security requirements and response strategies also differ across areas.

“Each region has its own unique security challenges. Therefore, operational support needs for the police at the local level cannot be standardized,” he said.

He added that the police institution possesses sufficient human resources, experience, and operational equipment to carry out its security and public order functions as mandated by law.

Meanwhile, H. Abdul Salam Karim, S.H., M.H., Executive Director of Polri Watch, noted that the operational funding needs of regional police units often differ significantly between locations. Relying solely on the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN) often makes it difficult to fully meet all specific local requirements.

For this reason, he argued that a clear legal framework is needed to allow funding support through the regional budget, using mechanisms that are transparent, measurable, and consistent with good governance principles.

“The revised Police Law should clearly regulate the legal procedures and mechanisms through which resort and regional police units may propose specific funding needs via the regional budget. This way, support for local security can be implemented more effectively without creating legal complications in the future,” Siddik Surbakti stated.

Abdul Salam Karim added that if funding from the regional budget is established, oversight and accountability processes can be directly carried out by the regional legislative body in coordination with the local government, in accordance with prevailing laws and regulations.

This system, he said, will encourage budget allocation that is better targeted, transparent, efficient, and accountable to the public.

“Ultimately, the most important outcome is an increased sense of security among the people. With adequate operational support, efforts to prevent and combat crime can be carried out more effectively, allowing the public to go about their activities with peace of mind and productivity,” Abdul Salam Karim concluded.

Reported from various media sources //photo from Google documents // contribution by Prime News Post international online media // news.paper
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Source: PolriWatchNews.com
Report by Barto.S