Wadas Residents Refuse Police Patrol: Evidence Of Police Only Being Feared Not Respected

JAKARTA - The news of the police's refusal by the residents of Wadas Village, Purworejo, has become a conversation in the public sphere. They resist the arrival of the police who patrol almost every day. Surprisingly, instead of feeling safe, this police patrol actually intimidated the Wadas residents.

On Twitter social media, the @Wadas_Melawan account reported that several residents of Wadas Village approached several policemen who were wandering in their village. When questioned by residents, the officers admitted that they were on patrol.

Instead of being well received, local residents were skeptical. The reason is, when the residents asked about the letter of assignment, the apparatus could not show it. "The reason for patrols is no longer logical, because they are carried out almost every day and in the same place," wrote the @Wadas_Melawan account.

Regarding police patrols, it can't be careless. According to the Regulation of the Head of the National Police of the Republic of Indonesia Security Maintenance Agency Number 1 of 2017 concerning Patrol Article 17 paragraph (1), every time they will carry out a Patrol, Patrol Officers carry out preparatory activities which include various preparations, including Patrol administration. The preparation of the patrol administration in question includes activity plans, patrol schedules, and warrants.

People's skepticism about the patrols is not without reason. Maybe they still remember what the traumatic event was on April 23rd. At that time around 11 people were arrested without reason by the authorities during a solidarity action to reject the plan to measure and determine land for mining. Nine of them are Wadas residents and two others are public lawyers from the Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH).

The arrests were made when residents staged a peaceful protest by blocking the road area using tree trunks. The action is also done while sitting and praying. Chaos broke out after a joint force of police and TNI units forced their way in, then forcibly arrested several people.

Police also reportedly fired tear gas at the crowd. Quoting Tempo, one of the legal counsel for a resident of LBH Yogyakarta named Julian, was surrounded by the police and forcibly withdrawn. The director of LBH Yogyakarta, Yogi Zulfadli, said that Julian was arrested in harsh ways.

Again and again the police came to Wadas village. When questioned, they argued that they were patrolling, but when asked for a patrol assignment letter, they could not show it. The reason for the patrol became illogical, because it was carried out almost every day and in the same place. pic.twitter.com/oaIMpUpaTK

— Wadas Melawan (@Wadas_Melawan) November 3, 2021

The residents of Wadas Village refused to hold andesite stone mining which would later be used for the construction of the Bener Dam. Residents who do not agree say that mining will destroy nature.

In addition, mining work has also taken away the livelihoods of Wadas Village residents who work as farmers. Many agricultural lands owned by residents are affected by andesite mining.

"We have lived there for generations, were born and raised there, cultivate the land, and if there is land grabbing in Wadas Village, how will we live? Please the government pay attention to us," said a resident of Wadas Village named Yatimah, quoting CNN Indonesia.

But instead of listening to the people's voices, the people are under pressure from the security forces. Unusual patrols have occurred since the April 23 incident in Wadas Village. Until the peak, the residents of Wadas Village refused the presence of the police because it was too disturbing.

The Wadas residents' anxiety and fear towards the police is truly unfortunate. As we know, law enforcement officers such as the police can actually provide protection and protect the community. But instead of feeling protected, the community actually feels afraid of the police. So is it true that the fear of the police is greater than the respect for him?

When viewed in general, the community really attaches great importance to politeness and respect as long as they are in contact with the police. However, if the opposite happens, then it is not respect that people give but only fear.

This was confirmed by Doctors Madeleine Novich and Geoffrey Hunt in their research entitled Get Off Me”: Perceptions of Disrespectful Police Behavior among Ethnic Minority Youth Gangs. According to them, people tend to feel disconnected or afraid of authority when they are treated harshly and indifferently. The results of their study of a number of samples showed that most people were concerned about the respect and quality of treatment of a police officer.

Concerns about unpleasant treatment were identified as the disproportionate or inappropriate use of force while the police were carrying out their duties. Indeed, the disproportionate use of force, which often results in bodily injury or trauma, can also be a sign of a lack of respect among the public or in this study of adolescents towards the police. However, this makes worries about the attitude of the police inevitable.

The disproportionate use of force referred to in this journal includes experiencing, witnessing or knowing police officers stopping or arresting someone by throwing, slamming, pushing, or hitting an individual. This journal research notes that dignity and respect are important aspects in upholding procedural justice because individuals value positive interpersonal treatment from law enforcement officials.

Meanwhile, in the context of the Wadas Village case, Gadjah Mada University sociologist Sunyoto Usman explained that we have to look at the role of the legal apparatus in the village. Because according to him, every village has a security apparatus and each has its own role. In other words, if people still feel afraid and insecure, the movement of the security forces should be questioned.

"Such as village heads, village officials, or Babinsa or for example at the sub-district level there is a triad, namely the sub-district head, the koramil commander and the police. The three components should have moved to provide security," said Sunyoto when contacted by VOI.

Every treatment of the security forces on the community stems from the governance of the three components. The three security components must have clear cooperation, communication and coordination.

If the community is still afraid of the police, it is no longer an individual problem for the community but rather the institution. If so, from an institutional perspective that must be improved. Because again the community can only accept and be the party that must be protected.

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