{
  "id": 14567155,
  "title": "Analysis: Same uniform, new master: The limits of police reform",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/analysis-same-uniform-new-master-the-limits-of-police-reform",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-15T00:02:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Jakarta Post",
    "slug": "the-jakarta-post",
    "url": "https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/10/15/analysis-same-uniform-new-master-the-limits-of-police-reform.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The inauguration of Suyudi Ario Seto as the new National Police (Polri) chief presents an opportunity to evaluate whether Polri can evolve into a genuinely professional force. However, early indications suggest the opposite. Upon taking office, Seto quickly reorganized senior appointments, but this act merely reveals who wields power, rather than indicating any transformative impact on Polri. Gen. Seto affirmed that he would carry on the policies of his predecessor, Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo, signaling that Polri's direction remains unchanged. This pledge is significant because the previous trajectory has been a persistent issue. Under Listyo, Polri faced criticism for aggressive policing during protests, immunity for abusive officers, and perceived political alignment. Reform had been repeatedly promised but seldom materialized. The formation of an internal Police Reform Transformation Team in September 2025, comprised of 52 high- and mid-ranking officers, is indicative of self-assessment within the institution. Yet, self-assessment rarely leads to structural change. The newly enacted Police Law, intended to address these issues, falls short as it does not address vital aspects such as strengthening independent oversight, reducing Polri's broad mandate, and tightening civilian control over appointments and budgets. The actual law, lacking these crucial changes, may claim the title of reform but fails to deliver it. The discrepancy between the reformist sentiment expressed by the public and the legal text underscores the substantial influence Polri wields over its own regulation. The change in leadership can be interpreted as a transfer of allegiance rather than a shift in direction. Listyo's rise under former President Joko \"Jokowi\" Widodo positioned him as a loyal figure. The predominant appointments in Seto's administration reflect this shift in allegiance, which does not enhance Polri's accountability to the public; it merely changes the entity to which Polri reports. In a system where the police chief is subject to the president's discretion, and the legislature approves nominees almost without question, professionalism hinges on the goodwill of the president. The presence of numerous active and retired police officers in Prabowo's administration reinforces this reality. The same situation occurs within the military. The extension of the police's reach into civilian governance through officers placed in ministries, agencies, and state-owned enterprises is partly being challenged. The recent Constitutional Court ruling requiring police members to step down or retire before assuming civilian positions is encouraging, but compliance will provide valuable insights. Officers may retire while retaining their networks and loyalties, and merely specifying formal status does not resolve the tendency to view the bureaucracy as a career progression for security personnel. This highlights the underlying structural issue. Polri, akin to the TNI, has emerged as one of Indonesia's most powerful special interest groups, potentially more influential than political parties, business associations, or Islamic organizations.",
  "summary": "The inauguration of Suyudi Ario Seto as the new National Police (Polri) chief should be a chance to ask whether Polri can become a truly professional force. The early signals suggest it will not.",
  "key_points": [
    "Suyudi Ario Seto inaugurated as new Polri chief, reorganizes senior appointments.",
    "Seto pledges continuation of predecessor's policies, indicating no reform impact.",
    "Police Reform Transformation Team formed in 2025, but lacks key reforms."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The continuity of leadership and existing legal frameworks ensures that police reform remains superficial, preserving the institution's role as a powerful special interest group beholden to presidential discretion.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}