Boni Hargens: Police Reform Under Listyo Sigit Is Real, Not Mere Rhetoric

Senior political observer Boni Hargens (Ist)

JAKARTA - Senior political analyst Boni Hargens considers the transformation steps taken by the National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo as a form of fundamental restoration in the National Police which aims to restore the police institution to its basic function as a servant and guardian of the community.

According to Boni, the approach implemented by the National Police Chief is not merely oriented towards institutional reform, but goes further to target fundamental improvements to the culture, integrity, and work system of the police.

"What the National Police needs is what the National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo is carrying out, namely fundamental restoration in order to restore the National Police to its true self as a servant and guardian of the community in order to strengthen Indonesian democracy and support efforts to usher in the golden era in 2045," said Boni Hargens to reporters, Sunday, June 14.

Boni explained that the term restoration has a deeper meaning than just reform. According to him, restoration means returning institutions to the basic values that are the foundation of their existence, including strengthening public confidence in the National Police.

"This means rebuilding public trust that may have eroded, strengthening integrity from the lowest to the highest levels, and ensuring that every member of the National Police understands that their legitimacy comes from public trust," he said.

He assessed that the spirit was in line with the Precision paradigm which has been the direction of the National Police policy under the leadership of General Listyo Sigit Prabowo.

Boni also emphasized that institutional improvement is not enough to be done through structural or administrative changes alone. According to him, changes must touch on aspects of organizational culture, personnel mentality, and incentive systems that apply in the police environment.

"I have observed, the new Police Law at this time, including the strengthening of Kompolnas, is aimed at that goal, the restoration of the National Police, not just reform," he said.

Regarding the enactment of the Law on the Third Amendment to Law Number 2 of 2002 concerning the National Police of the Republic of Indonesia, Boni assessed that the regulation was a strategic step to strengthen the professionalism, transparency, and accountability of the National Police.

One aspect that received special attention from him was the strengthening of the role of the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) as an instrument of civilian oversight of the police institution.

According to Boni, the strengthening of the authority of Kompolnas which has been accommodated in the new Police Law makes the formation of a separate law regarding Kompolnas not too urgent.

"Integrating the strengthening of Kompolnas into the existing Polri Law is much more effective legislatively and institutionally. Making a new law from scratch will take a very long time, open the door to unproductive debates, and potentially create a temporary legal vacuum," he said.

He assessed that the strengthening of Kompolnas was one of the three main pillars in strengthening the police institution. The first pillar is strong civilian supervision through the expansion of the role of Kompolnas in overseeing the performance, recruitment process, and promotion of members of the National Police.

The second pillar is the improvement of law enforcement effectiveness. According to Boni, stronger supervision will actually encourage the professionalism and integrity of the apparatus in carrying out their duties.

"The police, which is closely supervised, will actually be more professional, clean, and effective in carrying out law enforcement duties in the field," he said.

Meanwhile, the third pillar is the strengthening of the function of the National Police as a guardian of public security and order. With the support of a more modern legal framework and strong public legitimacy, this role is considered to be more effective.

"The main mission of the National Police as a guardian of kamtibmas will be even stronger with the support of a modern legal framework and strong legitimacy," said Boni.

He believes that the ratification of the new Police Law will accelerate the fundamental restoration efforts that have been driven by the National Police Chief. According to him, the main need of the National Police today is not only administrative reform, but a thorough overhaul that touches on institutional aspects, organizational culture, and relations with the community.

The DPR RI is known to have passed the Draft Law on the Third Amendment to Law Number 2 of 2002 concerning the National Police of the Republic of Indonesia into law in a plenary session on June 9, 2026.

Several main substances in the law include strengthening institutional transformation that is professional and transparent, strengthening the internal and external supervision system based on information technology, emphasizing the neutrality of members of the National Police, improving the quality of public services, regulating the assignment of members outside the institution, adjusting the retirement age limit, strengthening the curriculum based on human rights, and strengthening the role of Kompolnas.