The Indonesian National Police (, abbreviated as POLRI) is the national law enforcement and police force of the Republic of Indonesia. Founded on 1 July 1946, it was formerly a part of the country's military since 1962. The police were formally separated from the armed forces on 1 April 1999 in a process which was formally completed on 1 July 1999. The organization is now independent and is under the direct auspices of the President of Indonesia. The Indonesian National Police is responsible for law enforcement and policing duties all over Indonesia. The organization is widely known for its corruption, violence/brutality and incompetence. The Indonesian National Police also takes part in international United Nations missions, and, after special training, provided security for the UNAMID mission to protect internally-displaced people in Darfur. In total, per 2020 the total personnel that the Indonesian National Police possesses is 440,000, and the number is increasing every year, it includes 34,000 Brimob personnel, with up-to 7,000 water and aviation police personnel. Polri is also assisted by an estimated 1 million members of Senkom Mitra Polri volunteers throughout the country which are civilians that assist the police. The headquarters of the Indonesian National Police is located in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta and the Indonesian National Police hotline-emergency number is 110 which serves all over Indonesia 24 hours.

History

While Indonesia was under Dutch colonial rule, police duties were performed either by military establishments or the colonial police, known as the Veldpolitie or field police. Japanese occupation during World War II brought changes when the Japanese formed various armed organisations to support their war effort. This led to militarily-trained youths being armed with confiscated Dutch arms to perform police duties. After the Japanese occupation, the national police became an armed organization. The Indonesian police was established on 19 August 1945 (under the title of the National Police Agency (Badan Kepolisian Negara)) and its units fought in the Indonesian National Revolution against the invading Dutch forces. The police would later be renamed the National Police Service (Djawatan Kepolisian Negara) under the Ministry of Home Affairs and on 1 June 1946, it became an independent agency under the prime minister. The police also participated in suppressing the 1948 communist revolt in Madiun. In 1962, the police was brought under the control of the Commander of the National Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence, becoming the Indonesian Police Forces (Angkatan Kepolisian). Following the proclamation of independence, the police played a vital role when they actively supported the people's movement toa dismantle the Japanese army, and to strengthen the defence of the newly created Republic of Indonesia. The police were one of the non-combatants who were required to surrender their weapons to the Allied forces. During the Indonesian National Revolution, the police gradually formed into what is now known as Kepolisian Negara Republik Indonesia (Polri) or the Indonesian National Police. On 21 June 1962, the National Police was integrated under the Armed Forces (ABRI) and changed its name to Angkatan Kepolisian (Police Force), and its commander maintained the concurrent status of Minister of Defense and Security, reporting to the President, who is commander in chief. The commanding generals (later chiefs of staff) and the Chief of the National Police then all held ministerial status as members of the cabinet of the republic, while a number of higher-ranking officers were appointed to other cabinet posts. On 1 July 1969, the Police Force's name was reverted to "Polri". In April 1999, the police force officially regained its independence and since then has been a separate force from the armed forces proper. 1 July, which became National Police Day (Hari Bhayangkara), honours the anniversary of the 1946 Cabinet resolution placing the INP as a national agency subordinated directly to the government of the Republic and thus responsible to the President (formerly the Prime Minister).

Duties and tasks

The key tasks of the Indonesian National Police are to: In carrying out these basic tasks, police are to:

Hierarchy

The organization of the Indonesian National Police is hierarchical, headed by the POLRI general headquarters in Kebayoran Baru. There is no differentiation between the central organization with its regional components. Until 2010, there was also a police force division called Territorial Police Force (Kepolisian Wilayah, Polwil, formerly Komando Wilayah Kepolisian, Komwik) positioned between Polda and Polres. Polwils' divisions were based on Dutch East Indian residencies. The legacy of Polwils remain on the vehicle code on Indonesian vehicle registration plates.

Organization

Leadership elements

The leadership elements headed not only the Police Force General Headquarters (Markas Besar Kepolisian Negara Republik Indonesia, abbreviated Mabes Polri) in Jakarta, but also the entire Indonesian National Police Force.

Leadership support elements

Inspectorate Assistants to the Chief of Police Divisions Advisory Staff The Advisory Staff to the Chief of Police (Staf Ahli Kapolri) advises the Chief of Police regarding strategic matters. The advisory staff consists of:

Headquarters elements

Central executive agencies

Supporting elements

Regional Police

Each Regional Police headquarters (Polda) which covers a province oversees the following directorates:

Units

Special units

Public units

The following fall under department police headquarters (Polres) of cities and regencies:

Rank structure

In the early years, the Indonesian Police used European style police ranks, like "Brigadier", "Inspector", and "Commissioner". When the police were amalgamated with the military structure during the 1960s, the armed forces' ranking system was brought in, using ranks such as "Captain", "Major", and "Colonel". In the year 2000, when the Indonesian Police transitioned into a fully independent force, they used British style ranks like "Constable" and "Superintendent", but returned to their original ranking system a year later, albeit with some Indonesianized elements to help bolster national pride. The following ranks are only used by personnel serving in the Mobile Brigade Corps and Water police units:

Issues

Corruption

In the eyes of the people, the National Police force is "corrupt, brutal, and inept". Even becoming a police officer can be expensive, with applicants having to pay up to 90 million IDR, according to Indonesia Police Watch head, Neta Saputra Pane. In April 2009, angry that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) had tapped his phone while investigating a corruption case, Indonesian Police chief detective Susno Duadji compared the KPK to a gecko (cicak) fighting a crocodile (buaya) meaning the police. Susno's comment, as it turned out, quickly backfired because the image of a cicak standing up to a buaya (similar to David and Goliath imagery) immediately had wide appeal in Indonesia. A noisy popular movement in support of the cicak quickly emerged. Students staged pro-cicak demonstrations, many newspapers ran cartoons with cicaks lining up against an ugly buaya, and numerous TV talk shows took up the cicak versus buaya topic with enthusiasm. As a result, references to cicaks fighting a buaya have become a well-known part of the political imagery of Indonesia. In June 2010, the Indonesian news magazine Tempo published a report on "fat bank accounts" held by senior police officers containing billions of rupiah. When the magazine went on sale in the evening groups of men said by witnesses to be police officers, went to newsstands with piles of cash to try to buy all the copies before they could be sold. When KPK investigators tried to search Polri headquarters in 2010 as part of an investigation into Djoko Susilo, then the head of Korlantas (police corps of traffic), they were detained, and only released following the intervention of the president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Following a trial, Djoko was jailed for 18 years. Two years later, the KPK began investigating another senior police officer, Budi Gunawan, who was subsequently nominated for the post of National Police Chief. The KPK then named Budi a suspect and his nomination was withdrawn. However, he was later sworn in as deputy police chief. The police subsequently took revenge by charging three KPK commissioners with criminal offenses.

Violence and human rights abuses

Amnesty International has accused Polri of "widespread" torture and other abuses of arrested individuals. According to the organization, "Police in Indonesia shoot, beat and even kill people without fear of prosecution, leaving their victims with little hope of justice". In 2014 the Human Rights Watch reported that a physical virginity test is routinely performed on female applicants to the police force. An official admission of violence by police officers came in 2016 when Chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti admitted that officers of the Detachment 88 anti-terror unit were responsible for the death in custody of terrorist suspect Siyono, who died of heart failure after being kicked hard enough in the chest to fracture his ribs. The Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights stated in March 2016 that at least 121 terror suspects had died in custody since 2007 Amnesty International called in June 2019 for an investigation of "credible evidence" of a range of grave violations by police, who it alleged were responsible for 10 unlawful killings in the aftermath of the re-election of president Joko Widodo. In July 2020, the Indonesian Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) issued a report detailing police brutality over the preceding year that resulted in 304 deaths and 1,627 injuries in 921 violent incidents. The report also mentioned arbitrary arrests of people demonstrating legally, and acts of discrimination towards ethnic Papuans. The following year, the same organization reported 651 acts of violence against civilians resulting in 13 deaths and 98 injuries. Most of the deaths were caused by excessive violence and arbitrary shootings. In the summer of 2022, an investigation into the murder of Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat, an Indonesian police officer, overcame an alleged cover-up by police generals to conceal an alleged premeditated murder committed by Inspector General Ferdy Sambo, head of internal affairs of the Indonesian National Police, and four others, including Sambo's wife. The chair of Indonesia Police Watch called the affair "the worst scandal in the police's history". Ferdy Sambo was sentenced to death (later commuted to life imprisonment), with Amnesty Indonesia stating "the case should serve as a reminder to the police that it needed to make serious improvements in its internal operations and that this was not the first time that a police officer had been involved in an extrajudicial killing". On 1 October 2022, Indonesian riot police deployed tear gas inside Kanjuruhan Stadium in response to a pitch invasion and clashes with football supporters, which triggered a stampede of people in the stadium trying to escape from the effects of the gas. A crush formed at an exit, resulting in fans being asphyxiated. As a result, 134 people died, and more than 500 were injured. The National Commission on Human Rights in Indonesia (KOMNAS HAM) investigated the use of tear gas by police, and found that the Indonesian National Police were one of 6 parties responsible for the tragedy due to excessive use of tear gas inside the stadium. Other visual investigations, such as one by Narasi, also highlighted the force's excessive use of tear gas. Out of the 3 commanding officers that were charged for giving the order for tear gas to be fired, only 1 was given an 18-month sentence, whilst the other officers were acquitted, in a verdict deemed "an offense to the public's sense of justice".

Equipment

Firearms

The standard issue sidearm to all Indonesian National Police officers is the Taurus Model 82 revolver in .38 Special. While police personnel attached to special units such as Detachment 88, Gegana and BRIMOB are issued with the Glock 17 semi-automatic pistol. Heavy arms are always available to Indonesian police personnel, such as the Heckler & Koch MP5 sub-machine gun, Remington 870 shotgun, Steyr AUG assault rifle, AK-101, M4 carbine, SIG MCX, SIG MPX, M1 Carbine. and other weapons. The standard rifle for the Indonesian National Police are the Pindad SS1 and the M16 rifle. Units are also issued the "Sabhara"/Police V1-V2 Pindad SS1 special law enforcement assault rifle.

Police vehicles

The police vehicles that are usually operated by the Indonesian Police ("Polri") for patrol and law enforcement activities are mainly, Mitsubishi Lancer, Hyundai Elantra (for some police regions), Mitsubishi Strada/Triton, Isuzu D-Max, Nissan Almera, Ford Ranger and Nissan Navara. Such vehicles are usually operated by the "Sabhara" police unit and other units which the vehicles are mainly colored dark-grey. In some areas, usually in rural places, the vehicles are not up-to date compared to the ones in the major urban areas in the country, so some police vehicles still use older versions such as the Toyota Kijang and Mitsubishi Kuda. Special Investigation units usually operate in black Toyota Avanza and some are unmarked vehicles. Police laboratory and forensics ("Puslabfor") units are issued dark-grey police Suzuki APV, Isuzu D-Max, Ford Ranger, Toyota Fortuner or Mitsubishi Fuso Canter vehicles. The Traffic Police Corps ("Korlantas") usually uses vehicles such as the Mazda 6, Mitsubishi Lancer, Mitsubishi Galant V6, Toyota Vios, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Ioniq, Mitsubishi Pajero, Toyota Fortuner (usually for escort), Hyundai Elantra, Tesla Model 3 (mostly in Jakarta), Ford Ranger, Hino Dutro, Isuzu MU-X, and Toyota Hilux (coloured white and blue). Some vehicles for traffic patrol are also used such as the Toyota Rush and Daihatsu Terios and suzuki grand vittara. Sedan types are usually used for highway and road patrolling and escort. Double-Cab types are usually used for Traffic incidents and traffic management law enforcement activities. Police vehicles coloured orange usually Ford Focus and Mitsubishi Lancer sedans and white-orange Chevrolet Captiva are operated by the Vital Object Protection unit ("Pam Obvit") and usually parked outside and operated for international embassies, airports, and other special specified locations. It is also used by the Tourist police for patrol. For the paramilitary police, counter-terrorism and anti-riot units such as the Mobile Brigade or "Brimob", Detachment 88 and "Gegana" units usually use special costumed vehicles for special operations such as the Pindad Komodo, Barracuda 4x4 Light Armoured personnel carrier or light APC, Panus 4x4 Light Armored Patrol Car, DAPC 1/2 4x4 Light Armoured Transport Vehicle, and modified armored Mitsubishi Strada, Nissan Terrano and other special double-cabin and SUV vehicle types. Vehicles are coloured dark-grey with the bumper coloured orange identifying vehicles of the special police units. Some special operational "Gegana" and "Densus 88" vehicles are coloured black also with orange bumpers. Other customised vehicles used for mobilisation of police personnel are usually modified Suzuki Mega Carry, Isuzu Elf and Toyota Dyna with horizontal side sitting facilities inside of the trunk covered by dark colored canvas for canopy. Costumed patrol pick-ups with mounted sitting facilities on the trunk covered with canopy are also operated by the police to carry police personnel during patrol, the pick-ups are usually Isuzu Panther pick-ups and usually operate in rural areas. For high-ranking officers (usually generals), issued cars are usually grey (some black) full to compact sedans and Mid to Full-sized SUVs. Such cars are mainly chauffeured Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Land Cruiser, Suzuki Grand Vitara and Toyota Prado. Some use black Toyota Innova. Ford Focus mostly not used anymore for Korlantas and Sabhara only small uses, while MPVs like Honda Mobilio and Toyota Innova sometimes used for Korlantas unit for patrol and escort.

Uniform

The National Police Force of Indonesia had changes for uniform colours on at least three separate occasions. The periods are: Based on the regulation of the Chief of the Indonesian National Police, there are four types of uniform worn by police personnel which are: Ceremonial and service uniform are equipped with gorget paches (officially called "Monogram"). Higher officers (Brigadier General above) wear red while the rest wear dark brown. Field and service uniform are equipped with office badge on left sleeve, and corps badge on the right sleeve. Officer with command held wears his/her DUI (Lencana Tanda Jabatan) on the right pocket of the dress or service uniform and usually carries baton (called tongkat komando) while others don't. Headgears and beret colors:

National Police Pledge (Tribrata)

The National Police Pledge is a pledge of loyalty and fidelity of all sworn personnel and constables to the government and people of Indonesia, the principles of nationhood and the Constitution.

Personnel

List of Chiefs of Police (Kapolri)

In popular culture

Film

Television