Polri must keep up with evolving crime driven by technology: President

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto urged the Indonesian National Police (Polri) to keep pace with evolving crime patterns driven by technological advancements that threaten the nation.

In a ceremony commemorating the 80th Bhayangkara Day at the Police Mobile Brigade Training Unit, Cikeas, Bogor, West Java, Wednesday, he conveyed that Indonesia's challenges are becoming more complex due to ongoing global conflicts, rising international tensions, and increasingly advanced crime methods.

"Threats change, technology can also be used for evil purposes. Thus, we must adapt the way we work," he remarked.

The president then highlighted several crimes that pose a threat to the Indonesian nation, including the distribution and use of narcotics, online gambling, human trafficking, cybercrime, terrorism, and smuggling.

Apart from that, Indonesia also continues to face challenges from persistent illegal mining and plantation activities.

Furthermore, white-collar crime remains a challenge, referring to financially motivated offenses committed by individuals in the business sector or government.

On the other hand, the president praised the cooperation between the National Police and other ministries and agencies in tackling various types of crime.

"I appreciate the success of the National Police together with other institutions in continuing to dismantle and uncover thousands of narcotics cases. Together with the Ministry of Communication and Digital, they eradicate online gambling, and have succeeded in maintaining zero incidents of terrorism in the last few years," Prabowo said.

He reminded the National Police that these achievements should not lead to complacency or carelessness.

"The challenges remain significant. Many of our people still live in poverty, which is directly caused by corruption, smuggling, and other illegal economic activities," the president remarked.

In tackling evolving crime patterns, Prabowo also asked the police to improve their professionalism by mastering science, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI).

According to him, the challenges of modern crime can only be addressed by officers who continuously develop their knowledge and possess superior capabilities.

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Translator: Prisca Triferna, Resinta Sulistiyandari

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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