Preventing Crime, 144 Street Lights Will Be Installed From Kalimalang Bekasi To Pebayuran Bordering Karawang

Public street lighting on the causeway under South Tambun, Bekasi Regency, West Java. ANTARA/Pradita Kurniawan Syah

BEKASI - The Bekasi Regency Government will install public street lighting (PJU) in 15 sub-districts. Installation as an effort to prevent criminal acts that often occur in dozens of districts.

"We are currently preparing a total of 144 PJU points in 15 sub-districts, including Jalan Kalimalang to Pebayuran to avoid crime in Bekasi Regency," said Acting Head of the Bekasi Regency Transportation Service, Yana Suyatna in Cikarang, Bekasi Regency, West Java, Tuesday 28 June.

He said that the plan was to install a hundred lamps in a number of locations, starting from the main road with minimal lighting to the streets of residents' villages.

Yana admitted that the lighting that will be installed is different from general street lamps because it is specially designed to be more durable and not easily stolen.

"Not only manual, but there must be a new system, including solar power, there will be cell problems, yes, the tool is above, so it is difficult to take it," he said, according to Antara.

He also ensured that the type of lighting that was installed was an electricity cost-effective lamp but still lit brightly so that it would not burden regional finances.

"Some time ago, during a DPRD visit to Brebes, there were 12,000 PJU points with electricity payments of IDR 52 billion. In Bekasi Regency there were 23,000 PJU units but the electricity fee was only IDR 24 billion," he said.

Secretary of the Bekasi Regency Transportation Service, Sukri, said that the installation of PJU lights is a commitment of the local government by continuing to add street lighting points in areas that have not been installed.

"The installation of PJU lights is carried out in stages to areas or roads that are still dark. This year the focus is on Jalan Inspection Kalimalang," said Sukri.

This activity is in line with the Bekasi Regency Government program which is currently arranging the road sections from the Bekasi City boundary to the Karawang Regency.

"In addition to the new installations, we will also repair the lighting that has been installed but does not function at a number of points. Gradually adjusting the regional financial capacity, the results of our evaluation also still need a lot of street lighting," he said.

Bekasi Metro Police Criminal Investigation Unit Head AKBP Aris Timang said the addition of public street lighting facilities was needed for the safety and comfort of road users as well as anticipating the occurrence of criminal acts of theft with violence or stealing in the Bekasi Regency jurisdiction.

According to him, the lack of availability of public street lighting is one of the factors causing the increase in curas cases or known as "begal" such as on the Kalimalang Inspection Road, the Pantura Line, Cikarang-Cibarusah Road, Cikarang Bekasi Laut (CBL) Highway, to the Pilar-Sukatani Route.

Aris said that the majority of criminal acts of stealing occur at night by targeting motorists who cross paths with minimal lighting on public roads. He admitted that the number of street crime or street crimes increased from 18 percent in 2020 to 22 percent in 2021.

"We are intensifying intensive night patrols to maintain conducive and kamtibmas in Bekasi Regency," he said.