On Neighbourhood Watch! Not Today Blog 8

Indonesia’s neighbourhoods are kept safe by its people. Not the police. During Ramadan, fifteen bold men wander through the neighbourhood armed with golf clubs and bamboo sticks looking out for burglars and dodgy activities.

Police Force In Indonesia

The following numbers are based on basic internet research.

With over 267 million inhabitants, Indonesia is the world’s 4^th most populous country. In comparison, as of 2019, Germany has 84 million citizens (ranking 19^th).

The police-citizen ratio is appallingly small in Indonesia. Indonesia has 1 police officer for 452 citizens (a total of 590,000 police forces) whereas Germany for example has one police officer per 265 people (Total 316,000).

The security of housing complexes and districts often rely on hired security personnel or the power of the people. A low salary compared to most office jobs may be one reason for the small number of police officers in Indonesia.

CJ’s Bar

Jakarta’s famous hotel bar is located in Hotel Mulia, Jalan Asia Afrika, Gelora, RT.1/RW.3, Gelora, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10270. Wild nights end at this address. A place for the rich, the not so rich, the drunk, the best live musicians in town and hookers.

Addresses in Indonesia do not only consist of a street name (“Jalan”), district (“Kecamatan”), city (“Kota”) and postal code. A local address is also broken down into subdistricts which are the smallest governmental institutions and then into community units (“RW”) and neighbourhood units (“RT”).

Each institution has one leader which would be Mr RW (“Pak RW”), responsible for roughly 5-10 community units and Mr RT (“Pak RT”), responsible for 10-20 households. Both heads of the smallest units do not get a salary. Their service is voluntary. Their reputation is taken seriously.

Fighting Crime in Jakarta

In Indonesia, crime rates usually peak during the month of Ramadan (Thu, Apr 23, 2020 – Sat, May 23, 2020). One reason may be the pressure of being able to afford Eid Al-Fitr presents, which have a high significance in Indonesian Muslim tradition. 2020 was a special year as Indonesia released 30,000 inmates in late April due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in crowded prisons.

To be prepared against surprise is to be trained. To be prepared for surprise is to be educated.

James P. Carse

RTs all over Indonesia often take action carrying out so-called “Rondas”. Groups of about 10 or more guys between the ages of 20 to 60 get together each night during the month of Ramadan. Armed with golf clubs and bamboo sticks, these men frequently walk around the streets of the neighbourhood and look out for possible threats.

New Friends In The Hood

Rondas tend to be more of a social event than an actual security measure. I have fought for my neighbourhood. Quickly, I found out who was the pilot in the neighbourhood, who was the author, who was the BMW enthusiast. And, though it may not be important for everyone, I found out who had access to that Roku Gin I discovered last year in Japan which I could never find in any shop.

Why Not Today

You have been living in your house, your flat, your Airbnb for a year now. Don’t you think it is time to finally get to know your neighbours? Love, friendship, positive competition and supply might just be around the corner. Literally.

Why not today think of an activity you could do together with your neighbours after COVID-19. Why not come out of isolation and not only catch up with your besties but also make new relations.

D

Thanks Mon for this one!!