Jayapura – Papua Police Chief, Inspector General Patrige Renwarin, has called on local governments in areas vulnerable to attacks by armed criminal groups (KKB) to propose relocating polling stations (TPS) to safer locations.
“We urge local authorities to promptly request the relocation of polling stations in areas with security risks to safer places,” stated Papua Police Chief, Inspector General Patrige Renwarin.
According to him, out of 29 districts and cities across four provinces, 16 districts have been identified as high-risk for security disturbances. These districts are spread across two provinces—Papua Highlands and Central Papua—with eight districts in each.
To ensure the safety of the regional elections, the Papua Police will deploy three officers at each polling station located in areas prone to KKB disturbances.
“The Papua Police has already deployed 10,000 personnel to secure the election process,” said Renwarin.
In addition to mobilizing officers from both the Papua Regional Police and local police departments, Renwarin mentioned that a request has been made to the National Police Headquarters for an additional 1,000 personnel to assist in securing the elections. However, the exact number of reinforcements is still pending confirmation.
The jurisdiction of the Papua Police covers the provinces of Papua, Papua Highlands, Central Papua, and South Papua.
