The First National Police Chief Who Inspired General Hoegeng: R.S. Soekanto

JAKARTA - We know General Hoegeng's name as an honest policeman. However, actually, there is another name that even inspired Hoegeng's figure. He is Raden Said Soekanto Tjokrodiatmodjo, the First Police Chief of the Republic of Indonesia. Soekanto is a revolutionary figure who has a huge legacy for the Indonesian National Police (Polri) to this day.

Soekanto is the figure behind the formation of the water, air, mobile brigade, and traffic police. Soekanto is also known as the initiator of the establishment of police schools. General Hoegeng admired Soekanto's simple yet honest figure. Hoegeng said, "Without Mr. Kanto, the police would be messy."

Soekanto was born to R. Martomihardjo and Kasmirah. Born in Bogor, June 7, 1908, Soekanto was the eldest of six children. His father, who was a pangreh praja (Dutch official), made little Soekanto live well.

Even though Soekanto's life moved around following his father's placement, the value of discipline was instilled by his father. Regarding education, G. Ambar Wulan explained in the book "Police and Politics: Police Intelligence during the Revolutionary Period 1945-1949" (2009), that Soekanto was among a small number of native people who could receive Western education.

His family status, including priyayi, led Soekanto to continue his studies at Froben School (Kindergarten), Europese Lagere School (ELS) in Bogor, and Hoogere Burger School (HBS) in Bandung.

After graduating from HBS, Soekanto attended law school, Recht Hooge School (RHS) Batavia (Jakarta). It was there that Soekanto began to enter the world of movement. One of them, Soekanto was active in the Scouting of the Indonesian Nation (Jong Java).

There, Soekanto became acquainted with figures from the national movement, such as Sartono and Iwa Kusumasumantri. They became close friends. They also took part in the struggle for Indonesian independence. We have reviewed in more detail the movement of Soekanto's friend, Iwa Kusamasumantri, in the article "Seeing the Gait of the First Minister of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Iwa Kusumasumantri".

Soekanto did not complete his education at RHS. He was forced to leave RHS because his father's financial condition was getting difficult. Soekanto also tried to follow in the footsteps of his father who was a police officer in Tangerang. The Police Commissioner Aspirant School in Sukabumi became Soekanto's learning port in 1930.

Soekanto graduated in 1933, after taking three years of education. Since then Soekanto has a full career as a police officer with the rank of Politie 3 e Klass (Commissioner of Police Class III) in Semarang.

Soekanto's career as a police officer

Quoting from Kompas.id, as a police officer, Soekanto felt various positions. He was once a traffic policeman, detective, until he continued with the Intelligence Service of the Police Inlichtingen Dienst (PID).

Of all these positions, the investigator was the position most suited to Soekanto's interests. In the course of his career, apart from in Semarang, Soekanto has also served in the supervisory department in Purwokerto with the rank of Commissioner Class II. He then served as Chief of Police Section III in Semarang.

Entering 1940, Soekanto's police career continued outside Java. He was assigned to be the technical leader in southern Kalimantan. Soekanto at that time concurrently served as Deputy Head of Banjarmasin Police with the rank of Police Commissioner Class I, which was the highest rank that could be obtained by the native people.

However, he did not take that position for long. During the Japanese occupation, Soekanto was transferred to become Head of the Jakarta Residency Police. He was also briefly transferred to the police school in Sukabumi as an instructor.

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It was only after Indonesian independence, by his two friends - Iwa and Sartono - that Soekanto was invited to a cabinet meeting on September 29, 1945. Surprisingly, in this session, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Soekarno, appointed Soekanto to fill the post of Head of the National Police Department (DKN).

Soekanto also received the first order to lay the foundation stone of the national police. Soekanto also accepted it.

"This fact must have never been imagined by Raden Said Soekanto Tjokrodiatmodjo when the first-level police commissioner from Sukabumi was appointed by President Soekarno as the Head of the DKN on September 29, 1945," wrote a report from Tempo Magazine entitled "The Return of Wet Servants?" (1998).

At that time, DKN was under the Ministry of Home Affairs. As a result, the police have received broad autonomy in regulating their duties. Moreover, the police became more flexible, when on July 1, 1946, the DKN was placed directly under the Prime Minister with a clear division of tasks for the police and the TNI.

Police take care of law order. Meanwhile, the TNI takes care of national defense. Even though this changed after the Guided Democracy in the Bung Karno era was implemented. The law began to be used as a tool of power, a tool of the Revolution which caused the police to become a "force" behind the Indonesian Army (AD), Navy (AL), and Air Force (AU).

Honest police title

"There are only three honest policemen in Indonesia: a policeman statue, a sleeping police officer (speed bump, -red), and General Hoegeng."

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That's what the fourth President of the Republic of Indonesia, Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) said in his anecdote. It is possible that only General Hoegeng Imam Santoso is on Gus Dur's radar as an honest policeman.

Even so, General Hoegeng himself admitted that his teacher, Soekanto, was also worthy of being known as an honest policeman. Regarding Soekanto, Hoegeng remembers a lot of this practical anti-political figure in every moment.

"Once upon a time, still at the Merdeka Hotel, Hoegeng met with the KKN (Head of the National Police, the current National Police Chief) R.S. Soekanto Tjokrodiatmodjo. This is Hoegeng's reunion with Soekanto, after the previous meeting at the Sukabumi Police School, where Soekanto was one of the instructors. With a fatherly attitude, Soekanto invited Hoegeng to return to the police," wrote Aris Santoso and his friends in the book "Hoegeng: A Cool Oase Amid the Corrupt Behavior of National Leaders" (2009).

Soekanto, said Aris Santoso, was trying to persuade Hoegeng, who was already a Navy Major, to re-join the police. Soekanto with all his attitudes slowly melted Hoegeng's heart.

Afterward, Hoegeng returned to the police when he heard Soekanto's words: Meanwhile, the Indonesian police force itself is still a mess and needs to be developed.

Soekanto's words made an impression on Hoegeng's heart. He re-imagined Hoegeng's childhood dream of becoming a Police Commissioner. So Hoegeng resolved to return to the police.

Because of this meeting, Hoegeng always praised Soekanto as the best teacher. It was Soekanto's honest and simple attitudes that Hoegeng adopted when he became the 5th National Police Chief from 1968 - 1971.

Soekanto's simplicity was also seen when he retired. As reported by Kompas daily on October 25, 1981, Soekanto really lived a life of simplicity - if not said to be poor.

He really lives his life by upholding the philosophy of "sugih without bondo" or rich without material. In fact, Soekanto said he lived only from the pension fund. "I live from the pension fund," he said.

Compared to current conditions, the numbers are apprehensive. "Even so I have no doubt. Because I always enjoy it. That is enough. If we hold on to this thing, it is actually enough. Because what else could be higher than this life?" closed Soekanto.

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