Boni Hargens Praises Police Chief Listyo Sigit’s Reciprocity Initiative

JAKARTA - Senior political analyst Boni Hargens considers the idea of the National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo who opens up opportunities for the Civil Service (ASN) to fill certain positions in the police environment as an important breakthrough in strengthening democracy and institutional reform of the police.

According to Boni, the steps conveyed by the National Police Chief as a response to the proposal of the Human Rights Minister (HAM) Natalis Pigai show a progressive way of thinking in building a more open relationship between the police institution and civil society.

"This is a paradigm-breaking breakthrough that marks a smart thinking transformation in adapting security institutions with civil society in contemporary democratic practice," said Boni, Wednesday, January 10.

Previously, the National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo stated that the National Police opened a reciprocal space for ASN to occupy positions in the police environment, as members of the National Police can also occupy certain positions in the ASN realm.

"We give reciprocal space to ASN to occupy a position in the National Police as the National Police occupies a position in the ASN realm," said the National Police Chief in Jakarta, Saturday (7/6).

Boni assessed that the idea was not merely an administrative change, but reflected a paradigm shift in the relationship between security institutions and civil society.

He appreciated the ability of the National Police Chief to maintain a balance between the demands for police reform that are developing in society and the need for the National Police to continue to strengthen its closeness to the public.

According to him, the National Police under the leadership of General Listyo Sigit is not only an object of reform, but also appears as an institution that is proactive in adopting the values of openness and civil participation.

"The National Police Chief has managed to position the National Police not only as an object of reform demands, but also as an active subject that proactively embraces the values of civil openness without sacrificing the integrity and operational capacity of the institution," he said.

Boni added, in the practice of modern democracy, the involvement of civil elements in the security institution is one of the indicators of democracy maturity. Therefore, the idea of opening space for ASN to enter the Polri environment is considered to have strategic significance in strengthening more inclusive and accountable government governance.

He emphasized that this policy has the potential to be a fundamental step in strengthening Indonesian democracy in the future, especially if it is supported by clear regulations and transparent implementation mechanisms.

"This policy is very significant and fundamental in strengthening democracy in the future," said Boni.

According to him, the government and relevant stakeholders need to prepare technical rules regarding positions that can be filled by ASN, selection mechanisms, and guarantees of police function independence so that the policy is effective.

With the right arrangement, Boni believes that the ideas conveyed by the National Police Chief can become the foundation for a stronger relationship between the police institution and civil society within the framework of a maturing democracy.