Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama has apparently — as we all have — been humiliated by the Safe Cities Index published recently by the Economist Intelligence Unit, which ranked Jakarta as the least safe of 50 international cities.

In an attempt to fix the capital’s image, Basuki last week launched a number of programs aimed at reducing the capital’s crime rate, ranging from ongoing installation of 2,500 CCTV cameras and a smartphone app for crime prevention.

Basuki also shows an understanding that most crimes are committed because of financial factors. The Jakarta administration will therefore this year disburse Rp 1.7 trillion ($134 million) to finance the Jakarta Smart Card program, under which school students in the capital will receive financial aid to cover school costs.

Furthermore, the administration will continue to build low-cost apartments to house low-income people, especially in densely populated areas. This year, the target is to build a total of 7,200 low-cost apartment units.

We commend and fully support Basuki’s efforts to make Jakarta a safer place. Feeling safe is the number one factor that will attract tourists and investors to come to Jakarta and Indonesia.

Because Jakarta is the symbol of Indonesia and the main gateway to the archipelago, it is urgent that we prove to the global community that such a survey is wrong. It will take a lot of effort and money and require all the support the city can get.

As an institution with the task to secure Indonesia and the capital from crimes, the police should be even more humiliated by the ranking than either Basuki or the public. We have the right to ask, where are you, police officers? Basuki can only do so much. But without a serious effort form the police to tackle crime, everything will be a waste.

The post Editorial: Basuki Will Do What the Police Won’t appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Source: The Jakarta Globe