Internal Supervision Architecture and Police Service Behavior Within the Indonesian National Police (Polri): A Systematic Literature Review
This systematic literature review reveals that the Indonesian National Police's (POLRI) internal supervision mechanisms are hindered by structural inefficiencies and a paramilitary culture, necessitating legislative reforms, technological integration, and a cultural shift toward procedural justice to effectively improve service behavior.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
Imagine the Indonesian National Police (POLRI) as a massive, old-school school. For a long time, the teachers (the police officers) were also the principal's assistants, and the school was run like a strict military camp. After a big change in 1998, the school tried to separate the "military" part from the "police" part, but the old habits of the military camp are still very strong.
This paper is a "report card" review. The authors looked at 33 different studies (like checking 33 different report cards) to see how well the school's internal rules are actually working to make the teachers behave better and serve the students (the public) well.
Here is the breakdown of what they found, using simple analogies:
1. The Problem: The "Self-Refereeing" Game
Right now, if a teacher breaks a rule, the school has to police itself.
- The Internal Inspectors: There are special units inside the police force (like Propam and Itwasda) whose job is to catch bad behavior. But the paper says they are often stuck in a maze. It's like having a referee who has to ask permission from three different coaches before they can blow the whistle. The rules overlap, the paperwork is huge, and it takes forever to get anything done.
- The External "Advisor": There is an outside group called Kompolnas (the National Police Commission). Think of them as a "Parent-Teacher Association" that is only allowed to give advice. They can say, "Hey, that teacher was rude," but they cannot actually fire the teacher or give them detention. Because they have no "teeth" (no legal power to punish), the police force often just ignores their advice.
2. The Culture: The "Strict Drill Sergeant" vs. The "Helpful Neighbor"
The paper argues that the police culture is still too much like a military drill sergeant.
- The Issue: In a drill sergeant culture, you obey orders blindly. You don't ask questions, and you don't treat people with fairness; you just make sure the job gets done.
- The Missing Piece: The paper says the police need to learn "Procedural Justice." Imagine a traffic cop. A "drill sergeant" cop just slaps a ticket on you because you broke the rule. A "Procedural Justice" cop explains why the rule exists, listens to your side of the story, and treats you with respect. The paper says POLRI is very good at giving tickets (outcomes) but bad at treating people fairly during the process.
3. The Result: Why Trust is Low
Because the internal rules are slow and the outside advisors are powerless, the public doesn't trust the system.
- The Cycle: When people see that bad behavior isn't punished quickly or fairly, they stop reporting crimes or cooperating. It's like a neighborhood where the security guard never catches the thief, so the neighbors stop calling the guard.
- The Gap: The paper found that in countries like Japan or Taiwan, the "outside advisors" have real power. They can investigate and punish. In those places, the police are more trusted. In Indonesia, the system is stuck.
4. The Solution: A "Hybrid" Fix
The authors suggest three main ways to fix the school:
- Give the "Parent-Teacher Association" Real Power: They need to change the law so that Kompolnas isn't just an advisor. They need to be able to investigate and punish officers directly, just like a principal with full authority.
- Change the Training: Instead of just teaching officers how to be tough, they need to teach them how to be fair. This means training them to listen, explain, and treat people with dignity (Procedural Justice).
- Use Technology as a "Glass Box": The paper suggests using a new technology called Blockchain for handling complaints. Imagine a complaint box that is made of glass and locked with a digital key that no one can tamper with. Once a complaint is written down, it can't be erased or hidden. This makes the whole process transparent so people know their complaints are actually being seen.
The Bottom Line
The paper concludes that you can't just tell the police to "be better." You have to change the rules of the game. As long as the police are allowed to police themselves without strong outside help, and as long as they are trained to be soldiers rather than community helpers, the service to the public will remain flawed. To fix it, they need a new law, a new attitude, and a new, un-hackable way to track complaints.
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