[VOI Discussion] The Existence Of Extortion In The Middle Of The Police

Karo Penmas, Police Public Relations Division, Brigadier General Awi Setiyono (Photo: Bagus Santosa: VOI)

JAKARTA - Illegal levies or illegal levies at the National Police are an open secret. Certain individuals try to play by fixing a certain price to smooth out file management or something else.

One obvious example occurred in the process of making a driving license (SIM). In order to easily pass the test, applicants often have to pay a certain amount of money to officers or members of the National Police.

Karo Penmas, Police Public Relations Division, Brigadier General Awi Setiyono, spoke up about this. According to him, this problem has been a disease for a long time. However, as time went by and technological developments, illegal activities gradually disappeared.

Several attempts have been made to remove extortion by using the online driving license method. So, in this way can reduce the meeting between the applicant and the officer.

"A system has been established to cut the bureaucracy. So that it is possible for people not to meet with officers," said Awi in the VOI Discussion: Why Do We Hate Police ?, Jakarta, Thursday, July 16.

In fact, Awi exemplifies the online system in making international SIM. Applicants can apply for the production without having to meet face to face with the officer. In this way, a number of bureaucracies that have the potential for criminal extortion will be avoided.

"It's a form of transparency related to cutting bureaucracy," said Awi.

Likewise, the Commissioner for the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) Poengky Indarti said that extortion in SIM processing is no longer the case. This is because after the reform of the system within the National Police, the elements who used to play could no longer circumvent the rules.

In addition, extortion within the National Police has begun to decrease. The reason is, cultural changes are continuously emphasized in serving the community.

"Now it is no longer possible because it is so easy (the system)? Why are there levies? It's because of the old system," said Poengky.

On the same occasion, the Executive Director of the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR), Anggara, said that with the change in the system within the National Police, the community no longer used the paid fast lane. Because, using the old method will only worsen the economy because you have to spend more money.

"I don't think so, because the economy is bad. I don't think anyone likes it" in short.