Police Takes Social Media Criticism on Law Enforcement Seriously

TheIndonesia.co - Indonesia National Police's public information bureau head Brigadier General Rusdi Hartono affirmed that the police force was determined to conduct a thorough evaluation following popular hashtags criticizing police officers that are circulating among Twitter users.

Earlier, #PercumaAdaPolisi or police's existence is useless, the hashtag was circulating on Twitter after the viral testimony highlighted the recent case of a resident looking to file a police report yet instead experienced unpleasant behavior from police officers in Pulogadung, East Jakarta.

"The hashtag is our reminder to improve ourselves and strive to restore public faith in our institution. We also confirmed that investigation into the issue involving the Pulogadung Police is underway," Hartono said here on Tuesday.

He said, the police force continued to follow the stream of narratives about the police institution on social media, including during the #PercumaLaporPolisi, or reporting to the police is useless, hashtag earlier circulating among Twitter users, who were venting their frustration on law enforcers.

"The police will always be cold-headed and prudent in evaluating our performance whenever any hashtag criticizing the police is trending on social media," he noted.

Hartono opined that narratives circulating about the police on social media instead presented the police with a true public perception and motivated law enforcers to improve their performance.

"We will study any trending public narratives about the police to evaluate and improve the institution," he remarked.

He made an assurance that the police, who serve the public in a good manner, would be rewarded, while those, who violate their ethics code, would be punished.

"The police is committed to ensuring that they will put in their best ability to fulfill the residents' expectations," Hartono remarked.

The brigadier general also made the assurance that the police's internal regulation had determined the punishment for police officers that committed various violations during their duty, and police officers will be punished according to the severity of violation they committed.