Indonesia 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report: Jakarta
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Indonesia 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report: Jakarta This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. OSAC encourages travelers to use this report to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in Indonesia. For more in-depth information, review OSAC’s Indonesia page for original OSAC reporting, consular messages, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC password. Travel Advisory The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses Indonesia at Level 2, indicating travelers should exercise increased caution due to terrorism, civil unrest, and natural disaster. Reconsider travel to Central Sulawesi and Papua due to civil unrest. Review OSAC’s report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System. Overall Crime and Safety Situation The U.S. Department of State has assessed Jakarta as being a HIGH-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Jakarta is one of the largest, most densely populated cities on earth, with a population of over ten million inside city limits. The greater Jakarta area, encompassing also Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (known locally as “Jabodetabek,” combining the first letters of each jurisdiction) constitutes the second- largest urban area in the world, after greater Tokyo, with more than 30 million residents. Crime remains a concern, but did not significantly affect the U.S. community in 2019, perhaps due to elevated security awareness. Many U.S. private-sector organizations have active security briefing programs, with dedicated security professionals who stay current with respect to the latest criminal trends. Considering the size of the official and private U.S. communities (current estimates reflect approximately 15,000 U.S. citizen residents and visitors at any given time), there were relatively few reports of crimes against U.S. citizens in 2019 in Jakarta. The general crime rates on a per capita basis should be viewed in context, as Indonesia’s crime rate is lower than crime rates reported in many large cities in the Western Hemisphere. Crime Threats Through several sources, the Regional Security Office (RSO) has gathered statistics for Jakarta, outlining criminal activities and trends. Due to the reluctance of many Indonesians and expatriates to report crimes, these statistics may reflect a degree of under-reporting, and RSO cannot confirm Indonesian National Police recordkeeping methodology. The Jakarta Metropolitan Police reported the following specific statistics per category for 2019: 34 homicides; 37 rapes; 650 aggravated assaults; 1,279 robberies; 479 arsons; and 1,138 vehicle thefts. Each of these categories except arson (+6%) and rape (+13%), reflected a statistically significant decrease from 2018 reported totals; and overall, Jakarta Metropolitan Police reported 3% fewer crime incidents in the city in 2019 compared to the prior year (32,614 total reported crime incidents, down from 33,628), and 98% crime clearance rate for 2019. Indonesia 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report: Jakarta Indonesian criminals are normally reluctant to use force, and usually do not harm their victims unless confronted with violence. Violent crime does occur, however, and sometimes attracts significant media attention. In the first half of 2018, there was a perception among some Jakarta residents, including some expatriates, that either crime was increasing or that criminals were becoming more violent, especially motorcycle-borne criminals. A CCTV video from West Jakarta showing a mugger on a motorcycle snatching a cell phone or bag from a female motorcycle taxi passenger (while both were driving fast) went viral in July; the incident caused the victim to fall from the motorcycle and die from head trauma suffered when her head bounced on the road and helmet flew off. Shortly before that, motorcycle-borne criminals robbed an Indonesian government official bicycling in Kota Tua, the former heart of Dutch colonial Batavia frequented by domestic and foreign tourists. Whether real or anecdotal, this perception led to police cracking down aggressively in the weeks before the Asian Games. Personal and snatch-and-grab robberies are the most common type of crime, and have occurred regularly, including against expatriates. There was one incident involving a U.S. Embassy employee and a small number involving expatriates in 2019. These semi-confrontational robberies and attempted robberies typically involve one or two males on a passing motorcycle or moped attempting to grab cell phones, backpacks, bags, or jewelry from individuals riding other motorcycles or walking / waiting near the sidewalk edge. In some cases, these robbers work as part of large criminal syndicates based in greater Jakarta neighborhoods. A small number of Embassy-affiliated personnel also suffered residential burglaries or had wallets stolen from bags in crowded areas, such as mall restaurants. Use of disreputable and freelance taxis can also result in one falling victim to crime. The most common scenario involves the driver taking the passenger(s), usually female, to a remote area where other males, occasionally armed, rob them of jewelry, cell phones, money, and any other items of value. In some instances, criminals demand ATM pin codes or drive victim to an ATM and force him/her to withdraw cash. There were occasional reports in 2019 of foreigners sexually assaulted by taxi or other car service drivers, in some cases involving victims who were already under the influence of alcohol, and more frequently there were reports of unwanted touching, groping and/or males exposing themselves to women, often as they pass by on motorcycles. Visitors should use reputable taxi companies for transportation, and be aware that “bajaj” (i.e., open-sided Indonesian tuk-tuks present in some urban areas), “angkot” (i.e., unmarked van buses that ply major streets and can be hailed in some urban areas), or other forms of public transportation leave one more vulnerable to crime. U.S. Embassy employees and family members avoid these in favor of reputable taxis for transportation purposes. Pickpocketing affects local residents and visitors alike, most frequently occurring in crowded areas like the mass transit system, markets, and/or pedestrian bridges. Review OSAC’s reports, All That You Should Leave Behind Drink-spiking and subsequent robbery, either by females in hotel rooms or male companions en route to hotels, also occur occasionally; no such reports involved U.S. Embassy personnel in 2019. Indonesia 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report: Jakarta Credit/debit card crime continues to be a concern. The bulk of this type of crime involves dishonest employees of smaller businesses and/or restaurants copying details of the card or swiping it through a "skimmer," enabling them to make fraudulent cards with valid credit card numbers. Police have reportedly broken up multiple theft rings that had installed skimmers on ATMs in tourist-friendly areas such as Bali, in some cases operated by Eastern European nationals. The volume of such reports in 2019 remained consistent with previous years. Review OSAC’s reports, The Overseas Traveler’s Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud and Taking Credit. Organized crime remains a problem that local authorities have not effectively addressed, though it also tends not to affect expatriates. Illegal logging/fishing, human trafficking/prostitution, the sale of illicit and counterfeit drugs, and extensive corruption continues as well. In some instances, the prosecution of individuals accused of these crimes is unsuccessful because of payoffs and/or bribes to corrupt officials, including judges. Indonesian police (INP) and drug investigators (BNN) maintained aggressive rhetoric against drug criminals and continued to target them very intensively in 2019. In 2019, Jakarta Metropolitan Police reported an 11% decrease in narcotics arrests (5,231 arrests in 2019, down from 5,844 in 2018). As Indonesia boasts the world’s fourth-largest population, it is a significant consumer of crystal methamphetamine, ecstasy, and cannabis. Indonesia also serves as a major transit point for methamphetamine smuggled to Australia and New Zealand. BNN and INP officers continue aggressively targeting of drug-trafficking suspects; President Joko Widodo has called for strong enforcement measures to address the ongoing drug emergency in Indonesia. In July, President Widodo signed a Presidential Regulation (Perpres) that elevated the BNN chief to the rank of a minister and granted the agency more financial rights. Visitors should note that crime in Jakarta and throughout Indonesia increases before and during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. This is reportedly due in part to the pressure of providing gifts for family members and obtaining money for the Eid Al-Fitri holiday. Areas of Concern No areas of Jakarta or other major metropolitan areas are officially off-limits to U.S. government personnel, but there are areas in which the chances of becoming a victim of a crime are greater. Block M in South Jakarta is associated with bars and nightclubs of dubious reputation at which prostitutes, drugs, and criminal activity are present. Those expatriates who visit Block M should remain extra vigilant. Police also reported in 2018 and 2019 that South Jakarta (e.g., Kemang), a largely affluent area with international schools and multinational corporations