The untouchables: The case for breaking up the National Police

Indonesia's police force has grown into a powerful, untouchable entity that can spy on the President himself, according to a recent report. This development is not just another scandal, but a clear indication of the country's police force having amassed surveillance power, political leverage, and institutional autonomy over the past two decades.

After the Reform era in 1998, efforts were made to create a professional civilian police force separate from the military. However, the result was a hyper-centralized force that is answerable to the president on paper but practically untouchable in practice.

The wiretapping crisis has proven that the current police model is failing and that merely making adjustments will not resolve the issue. To save democracy in Indonesia, it is argued that the police force must be broken up, with its concentration of power dismantled, political leverage stripped away, independent oversight imposed, and law enforcement decentralized.

The root of the problem lies in the direct line of communication from the National Police chief to the President. Initially intended to ensure civilian command, this connection has instead become a permanent bargaining chip for the police. Presidents rely on the police for political intelligence, election security, and domestic order, making them reluctant to discipline top generals without risking retaliation.

As a result, every scandal involving the police ends in a reshuffle and a subsequent press conference. The political incentives remain unchanged, and the police remain an institution that is formally subordinate but practically untouchable.