Surabaya Police Alert 2,400 Personnel To Secure New Year's Eve At The Border

PHOTO VIA BETWEEN

SURABAYA - The Greater City Police (Polrestabes) Surabaya alerted as many as 2,400 personnel for border security, with the aim of preventing New Year's Eve celebrations in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Head of Surabaya Police, Kombes Akhmad Yusep Gunawan, said the personnel would maintain mobility in all border areas, and drive away vehicles starting at 17.00 WIB on December 31, 2021.

"There is also assistance or BKO from the East Java Regional Police, the Indonesian National Army and the Surabaya City Government Civil Service Police Unit," he said, quoted by Antara, Thursday, December 30.

Kombes Yusep explained that the New Year's Eve security pattern in Surabaya is divided into three "rings".

He explained that the personnel stationed in ring 3 focused on limiting mobilization across the borders of the Surabaya City area, starting at 17.00 WIB.

"Personnel in ring 2 prevent mobility from entering the center of Surabaya. In addition, in ring 1 guard places that have the potential to become crowd centers, such as Jalan Raya Darmo, Kertajaya, Tunjungan and Pemuda," he said.

Yusep emphasized that he did not give permission for crowds to celebrate New Year's Eve. The basis is the Instruction of the Minister of Home Affairs (Inmendagri) Number 66 of 2021, which has been followed up with the Surabaya Mayor's Circular.

According to Inmendagri Number 66 of 2021, all activities in various places that have the potential to cause crowds on New Year's Eve must stop operating at 22.00 WIB.

Yusep appealed to the public to comply with these regulations for the sake of a conducive city of Surabaya, safe from crime, and free from the transmission of COVID-19.

"I really hope that the public will not commit the violations that have been determined by the government. So we don't need to take strict measures and actions that actually make activities in the city of Surabaya uncomfortable," he said.