Today's Police Problem: Politics, Extortion, and Weak Leadership

MAKASSAR - Member of the Commission for the Acceleration of Police Reform (KPRP), Mahfud MD, highlighted the dangers of political intervention and weak leadership as the main problems in the Indonesian National Police (Polri). According to him, the current problem of the Police is not in the organizational structure or regulations, but in the practice in the field.

This was conveyed by Mahfud after holding a public hearing in the context of screening the aspirations of the KPRP at the Faculty of Law, Hasanuddin University (Unhas), Makassar, South Sulawesi, Tuesday, December 16.

Mahfud emphasized that the reform of the National Police had actually been completed since the post-reform era of 1998. Currently, what is needed is not a re-reform, but an acceleration of reform so that professionalism values are truly implemented.

"Police reform is actually finished. What we are doing now is accelerating the reform. The structure and rules are good, it's just how to run it," said the former minister coordinating the fields of politics, law, and security.

Mahfud likened the National Police to a patient who needed an accurate diagnosis. According to Mahfud, there are still a number of "chronic diseases" that gnaw at the police institution, ranging from extortion practices, abuse of authority, hedonism, flexing, to alleged collaboration with crime.

Mahfud assessed that the root of the problem arose when political elements began to enter the body of the National Police. In addition, the leadership factor is also considered very decisive. "The National Police began to have problems when politics entered it. Second, the issue of leadership. If the leadership is clean and not contaminated by politics, it will definitely go down well," he said.

He also emphasized that the KPRP does not have the authority to assess or resolve legal cases involving members of the National Police. The main task of the KPRP is to prepare a strategic policy framework for the improvement of the National Police institution in the future.

"There are those who report about an affair or a personal case of the police. That is not the business of the reform of the National Police," he said.

Mahfud again emphasized that the National Police belonged to the people and must return to its true identity as a protector, guardian, servant of the community, and just law enforcement.

"The National Police is a coalition of the people. The biggest problem today is law enforcement, especially when it comes into contact with business and politics," he concluded.