6 Months as Bali’s Chief of Police

At one time you would hardly see an officer of the law on the streets of Bali but the bombings put paid to that and the police are ubiquitous in their presence everywhere.

And they have been doing an excellent job in my opinion as far as assuring tourists to the island. So often we see a soldier or a policeman in a Circle K carrying a machine gun, or see them patrolling the beaches of Kuta ever vigilant in their observation.

A lot of this activity can be put down to the previous Chief of Police but the new Chief is continuing the great work. The day marked the 60th anniversary of the Indonesian police and the end of the first semester in the job as Bali's Chief of Police for Inspector General Drs. Sunarko Danu Ardanto.

After half a year as Bali's top cop an assessment of what General Sunarko has done and what's ahead for the island's constabulary appeared in the Bali Discovery.

The first three months as Bali's top cop saw Chief Sunarko consolidate his department by means of internal audits, the creation of a shared vision of the role of the police with the people of Bali, steps to restore the Island's image in the wake of its second terrorist attack and the continuance of an ongoing program of cracking down on crime.

During the period January-March 2006 the police under Sunarko's command also intensified enforcement efforts against narcotics, gambling and potential terrorist threats to Bali.

Particularly noteworthy during the first few months of Sunarko's rule was a crackdown on local illegal logging mafia who were undoubtedly shocked to see Bali police seize thousands of cubic meters of lumber and a large number ships involved in carrying illicit timber.

During the second quarter of 2006 Chief Sunarko undertook an evaluation of the work synergies among the Balinese police. He required all sub-district Police Chiefs and Division Heads within his Department to sign a moral contract reaffirming their commitment to their jobs and the community they serve.

Sunarko closed his first six months in the job by launching a program of "Police Partners with the People" in which outreach programs with community and religious leaders are being undertaken through safari's to all areas of the island, many heretofore seldom visited by Bali’s Chief of Police.

The Bali Police Force

Some interesting facts and figures regarding policing in Bali.

The Bali police force totals 11,467 officers.

Through June 2006 the Bali police solved 2,162 cases out of 3,436 criminal cases reported.

In the same period in 2005 the police solved 1,862 cases out of 3,043 criminal cases reported.

Police have increased arrests for illegal gambling in the first half of 2006 recording 200 gambling investigations. In the same periods in 2005 and 2004 the gambling cases handled by the Bali police numbered 158 and 125 respectively.

In recent months police have arrested 22 people in connection with the theft of sacred Hindu religious and ceremonial objects from 46 religious sites.

During the first half of 2006 a total of 255 Indonesian nationals and 12 foreign citizens were apprehended for narcotic violations. This compares with 459 Indonesians and 23 foreigners arrested for drug violations in the same period in 2005.