3,500 Indonesian People Police Officers to be Developed at Flood-Hit Areas

Jakarta (Antara) - The Police Headquarters will deploy 3,500 police officers at several areas in Indonesian that have been hit by floods, landslides, and volcano eruption. "The 3,500 policemen are from the Police Headquarters and Mobile Brigade," Commissioner General Badrodin Haiti, the head of the Police Headquarters' Security and Maintenance Departement, stated here on Wednesday. They will be deployed, among other places, at North Sumatra to help victims of Mount Sinabung eruption, and at Jakarta, West Java, and North Sulawesi which have been hit by floods and landslides over the past ten days. They will support the regional police officers who have been deployed to help natural disaster victims until March. During 2013, there were 693 natural disasters, of which, there were 262 landslides, 95 flash floods, 44 robs, one volcano eruption, 94 whirlwinds, and 171 categorized as other disasters. There were also 422 fires and 24 non-natural disasters last year. Meanwhile, some 19,357 military officers have been deployed to help the victims of natural disasters currently hitting parts of Indonesia. Chief of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) General Moeldoko has instructed all military officers across Indonesia to be on high alert during the ongoing rainy season which has high precipitation, TNI spokesman Coloner Bernardus stated here on Tuesday. The TNI has set up flood mitigation command posts in Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, Sumatra, and Manado. In Jakarta, 5,559 military officers have been helping flood victims in Cempaka Putih, Petamburan, Tanah Abang, Kapuk Muara, Pluit, Penjaringan, Kebon Jeruk, Cengkareng, Kapuk Raya, Bukit Duri, Cipulir, and Pangadegan. To help flood victims in the capital city, the officers are equipped, among other things, with 128 rubber boats, 57 emergency tents, 30 ambulances, 34 makeshift kitchens, 89 trucks, 15 river boats, 42 inflatable boats, 30 outboard motor units, 565 buoys, one EC120B Colibri aircraft, and one SA330 aircraft. In West Java, the military officers have been deployed in flood-affected districts such as Bogor, Sukabumi, Bandung, Sumedang, Garut, Ciamis, Tasikmalaya, Karawang, Subang, Cirebon, Kuningan, Indramayu, Majalengka, Purwakarta, Pandeglang, Serang and Cilegon. In Central Java, 1,040 military officers have been deployed in Magelang, Muntilan, Ngentak, Sawangan, Pekalongan, Buaran, Wiradesa, Sragitirto, Pemalang, Widuri, Sugiwaras, Batang, Donorojo, Tahunan, Kalibeluk, Warungasem, Kembang, Kalinyamatan and Kebonagung. In Sumatra, 1,147 officers have been helping flood victims in Bengkulu, Ogan Komering Ilir, Banyu Asin, Jambi, Merangi and Lampung. In Manado, North Sulawesi Province, 741 military officers have been deployed in Tinoor, Ranotana, Tambolang, Tomohon and Sario. They are equipped with four rubber boats, seven trucks, three Hercules aircraft, and 18 emergency tents, among other things. Floods have directly or indirectly killed 12 people in Jakarta, 19 in Manado and at least four in Bekasi (West Java Province). (*)