History Of Police Incognito: The First Chief Of Police, General RS Soekanto During The Dutch Colonial Period

JAKARTA - The life of General Raden Said (RS) Soekanto Tjokrodiatmodjo is full of dynamics. Initially he was active in the national movement demanding an independent Indonesia. However, fate's letter said otherwise. He chose his own struggle by becoming a police officer.

The task was done well. When on duty in the detective department, for example. He also liked to do an act of disguise to uncover the crime. From disguise as an ordinary person to a thug.

Soekanto (later became the First Chief of Police of Indonesia) was included in the category of lucky bumiputras. he is the son of a priyayi. He got all kinds of privileges, including access to education easily. Moreover, his parents fully support Soekanto's education.

The best school is often Soekanto's house that demands knowledge. At its peak, he was able to access education in law school, Rechtshoogeschool (RHS) Batavia. His life as a law student actually opened his horizon in thinking. He began to consider colonialism, especially colonialism, to be fought immediately.

This fact made Soekanto actively participate in the world of national mobilization in the Dutch East Indies. All the power of effort was made to educate the nation's children. He is not stingy in sharing knowledge. He often takes the time to teach other bumiputras who cannot access education.

This activity was perpetuated while being part of Jong Java and the Leadership of the Indonesian nation. This activity made him know other freedom fighters. Iwa Kusumasoemantri, one of them.

However, disaster arose. He began to have financial difficulties when his father retired as an amtenar for the Dutch East Indies in Tangerang. The only solution is to swerve from law school and become a police officer. This is because police education in the Dutch East Indies was fully financed by the invaders.

This issue makes Soekanto, who has been active with the movement and has chosen a non-cooporative path in his activities at the Indonesian National Leadership, confused. Soekanto needs the understanding of his seniors who are active in the national movement, such as Sartono, who he knows as a senior at RHS and Soesanto Tirtopoldjo, whom he has known closely since being active in the Indonesian Leadership Bogor for the consultation of his plan.

From the consideration of these movemental friends, Soekanto was determined in his choice to become a police officer. This is based on the idea that the struggle in corporate tactics with the colonial government does not mean that he stops his struggle which has been in his life. Furthermore, Soekanto made the police a new way to fight close to the enemy," said Awaloedin Djamin and G. Ambar Wulan in the book General Police RS Soekanto Tjokrodiatmodjo (2016).

Soekanto entered the Assistant School Police Commissioner in Sukabumi in 1930. He studied three years in police school well. He also graduated and was promoted to Commissioner van Politie 3 e Class (Class III Police Commissioner).

He was assigned by Semarang in the same year. His duties as a police officer vary. Sometimes when he participates in the traffic department, the Intelligence Service of Politieke Inlichtingen Dienst (PID), to the detective. However, he was actually comfortable working in the field of detective, until he was appointed as the Chief of Police Section IV in Semarang.

Soekanto's activeness in the detective section made him familiar with the world of disguise. He can disguise himself as anything. From ordinary people to thugs. His disguise often works in uncovering cases. Mainly, catching German and Japanese spies when World War II erupted in 1939.

Soekanto also often did disguise to carry out impromptu inspections. He wanted to see how far his subordinates' performance was. Soekanto often finds his subordinates, including the white police (Dutch) who work incompetently by sleeping during working hours. The magic is that many do not realize Soekanto's disguise.

During his tenure in Semarang, various parts he had occupied, such as in traffic, detective and PID, the most favorite were the tasks in the detective section. As usual, a detective, Soekanto often visits places that are considered vulnerable. He disguised himself as an ordinary person, wearing black clothes, black pants, attached sarongs, black caps, and usually accompanied by a police commander.

The place he visits the most is Johar Square. His disguise is very neat, let alone ordinary people, if he says he passed in front of a policeman on duty, the officer is unlikely to know him," said Achmad Turan and his friends in the book General Police SS Soekanto: Mr. Indonesian National Police (2000).