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To curb crime, Bali cops to shoot on sight
DENPASAR: Concerned by Bali's rapidly increasing crime rate and its possible effect on tourism, the provincial head of police has issued a shoot-on-sight order for dealing with criminals targeting foreigners.
'The police have to act firmly and, if necessary, shoot on sight if perpetrators try to escape arrest,' Inspector-General Hadiatmoko was quoted as saying by The Jakarta Globe newspaper yesterday.
He said that the frequency of crimes against foreign tourists and residents alike in Denpasar, the main city on the holiday island, and the surrounding Badung district had now reached worrying levels.
The police chief lost his patience on Sunday when he received a report of a robbery attempt against Mr Ekoto Philip Mimbimi, 35, that left the American in hospital.
Police said Mr Mimbimi had fought two burglars attempting to rob his house in North Kuta, in the Badung district.
The criminals broke in through the back door of the house wearing ninja masks at around 3am. Mr Mimbimi was watching television and resisted the burglars but was stabbed in the thigh, the newspaper reported on its website yesterday.
'The criminals have been arrested and the victim is still receiving treatment in the hospital,' said Bali Police chief of detectives I Gede Bambang Wiryawan.
In another case last Tuesday, robbers attacked Ms Christine Cheril, a 57-year-old Australian tourist staying at Villa Mangga in Badung district.
Police said the perpetrators, whose numbers remain unclear, gagged and bound the victim and fled with 180 million rupiah ($25,600) worth of valuables.
Separately, Ms Lusiana Burgess, the 46-year old wife of a retired British pilot, was found dead at her home in Umalasar in North Kuta on Jan 19. Police believe she was the victim of a robbery.
They are also investigating the daylight armed robbery of three petrol stations, one on Jan 15 this year and two others in October and November, The Jakarta Globe reported.
Insp-Gen Hadiatmoko said he regretted that many villas being illegally rented out to tourists were 'not equipped with adequate security measures and are targets for robbers'.
The Bali Villa Association estimates that there are about 300 illegal villas for rent in the Badung district alone.
In an editorial on Sunday, The Jakarta Globe said that more than three million tourists visit Bali every year, spending millions of dollars and supporting industries well beyond the island.
'Tourists visiting Bali are also buying products there that are made in other parts of the country... The Balinese economy is intricately linked with thousands of communities in Java and farther afield. If these tourists stop coming because of security concerns, millions of lives will be affected,' the editorial said.
A WIDER PROBLEM
'The Balinese economy is intricately linked with thousands of communities in Java and farther afield. If these tourists stop coming because of security concerns, millions of lives will be affected.'
The Jakarta Globe, in an editorialon Sunday
DENPASAR: Concerned by Bali's rapidly increasing crime rate and its possible effect on tourism, the provincial head of police has issued a shoot-on-sight order for dealing with criminals targeting foreigners.
'The police have to act firmly and, if necessary, shoot on sight if perpetrators try to escape arrest,' Inspector-General Hadiatmoko was quoted as saying by The Jakarta Globe newspaper yesterday.
He said that the frequency of crimes against foreign tourists and residents alike in Denpasar, the main city on the holiday island, and the surrounding Badung district had now reached worrying levels.
The police chief lost his patience on Sunday when he received a report of a robbery attempt against Mr Ekoto Philip Mimbimi, 35, that left the American in hospital.
Police said Mr Mimbimi had fought two burglars attempting to rob his house in North Kuta, in the Badung district.
The criminals broke in through the back door of the house wearing ninja masks at around 3am. Mr Mimbimi was watching television and resisted the burglars but was stabbed in the thigh, the newspaper reported on its website yesterday.
'The criminals have been arrested and the victim is still receiving treatment in the hospital,' said Bali Police chief of detectives I Gede Bambang Wiryawan.
In another case last Tuesday, robbers attacked Ms Christine Cheril, a 57-year-old Australian tourist staying at Villa Mangga in Badung district.
Police said the perpetrators, whose numbers remain unclear, gagged and bound the victim and fled with 180 million rupiah ($25,600) worth of valuables.
Separately, Ms Lusiana Burgess, the 46-year old wife of a retired British pilot, was found dead at her home in Umalasar in North Kuta on Jan 19. Police believe she was the victim of a robbery.
They are also investigating the daylight armed robbery of three petrol stations, one on Jan 15 this year and two others in October and November, The Jakarta Globe reported.
Insp-Gen Hadiatmoko said he regretted that many villas being illegally rented out to tourists were 'not equipped with adequate security measures and are targets for robbers'.
The Bali Villa Association estimates that there are about 300 illegal villas for rent in the Badung district alone.
In an editorial on Sunday, The Jakarta Globe said that more than three million tourists visit Bali every year, spending millions of dollars and supporting industries well beyond the island.
'Tourists visiting Bali are also buying products there that are made in other parts of the country... The Balinese economy is intricately linked with thousands of communities in Java and farther afield. If these tourists stop coming because of security concerns, millions of lives will be affected,' the editorial said.
A WIDER PROBLEM
'The Balinese economy is intricately linked with thousands of communities in Java and farther afield. If these tourists stop coming because of security concerns, millions of lives will be affected.'
The Jakarta Globe, in an editorialon Sunday
