West Pasaman Police Ask For Additional Personnel For Election Security, Police Chief: Easy To Accept

Illustration of securing the 2024 General Election. (Photo via Antara)

The West Pasaman Resort Police (Polres) felt that there was a shortage of personnel to secure the 2024 general election (Pemilu). For this reason, the West Pasaman Police Chief, AKBP Agung Basuki, proposed an addition to the West Sumatra Police.

The current number of personnel from the West Pasaman Police, said the Police Chief, is only 444 people. Of these, only 2/3 of the strengths or 200 personnel can be deployed to secure the election.

"We have submitted additional personnel, hopefully it can be granted because the West Pasaman area is quite wide, consisting of 11 sub-districts and 90 villages (villages) at this time," Agung said, as quoted from Antara, Saturday, October 21.

"At least we need additional 300 more personnel to secure the 2024 General Election," he continued.

He said his party was also still mapping vulnerable areas during the 2024 election to ensure that the democratic party was running safely and conducive. "From the current initial mapping, he said, there are three sub-districts that are potentially prone to elections, namely in Sungai Aur District, Kinali District and Lembah Melintang District. "The three areas are the focus of us mapping to anticipate that the events in 2014 and 2019/2020 will not be repeated again, such as chaos at the TPS, re-election to efforts to escape ballot boxes," he said. According to him, the three vulnerable sub-districts will be prepared by personnel to guard and guard so that unwanted potential does not develop.

In addition, he said, other areas outside the three sub-districts remain a concern for election security. He said that the National Police in the success of the 2024 General Election did not work alone, but cooperated with the TNI, local governments, central governments, election organizers, and community leaders. "From there, of course, the TNI and Polri do not stand alone, but work together with local governments and the central government, election organizers and existing figures, so that we can manage it so that it is truly safe," he said.