Individual Corruption

In general, the Indonesian public lacks confidence in the police. According to Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer 2010, the police are perceived by the surveyed households to be the second most corrupt institution in the country. Furthermore, the US Department of State 2010 also reports that corruption remains widespread in the police in some provinces. Petty corruption, such as processing traffic violations, or extorting larger bribes in criminal investigations is common.

Business Corruption

Corruption within the police has increasingly become a serious concern for businesses in Indonesia. According to a November 2010 news article by The Jakarta Post, most foreign and several local companies allege that it is better to keep silent about extortion attempts by the police, in order to avoid unnecessary risks of retaliation.

Reportedly, the Indonesian police often demand additional payments from companies for security arrangements. According to Transparency International's Indonesia Corruption Perception Index 2008 and Bribery Index, more than one-fifth of all business respondents think that fighting corruption in the police force should be highly prioritised.

Political Corruption

According to a 2010 news article by The New York Times, the arrest of Islamist militants in Aceh province in April 2010 has exposed how corrupt police officers are helping Islamist militancy to grow. The New York Times cites a 2010 report released by the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, which shows that corrupt police officers helped Jihadist to acquire weapons. One police officer, Mohamed Sofyan Tsauri, who is closely linked to the Aceh group, was arrested for arranging shooting practice for militants inside the paramilitary police’s headquarter. The same report also states that corrupt prison guards made life more comfortable for jailed militants by smuggling goods into their cells in return for bribes.

Indonesia’s most prominent anti-corruption NGO, Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), filed a complaint in June 2010 at the Corruption Eradication Commission regarding a suspicious bank account holding USD 10.3 million allegedly belonging to a senior police general. According to the chairman of the ICW, as cited in a June 2010 news article by Jakarta Globe, there were signs of bribery and illegal gratuities involved in the aforementioned account. However, according to the same source, the National Police have refused to investigate the case further.

Frequency

World Economic Forum: The Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011:
- Business executives give the reliability of the Indonesian police to enforce law and order a score of 4 on a 7-point scale (1 being 'cannot be relied upon at all' and 7 'can always be relied upon').

Transparency International: Global Corruption Barometer 2010:
- 30% of households surveyed consider the police to be 'extremely corrupt'.

- 11% of households who had contact with the police in 2009 report to have paid a bribe.

- Citizens give the police a score of 3.5 on a 5-point scale (1 being 'not at all corrupt' and 5 'extremely corrupt').

The World Bank & IFC: Enterprise Surveys 2009:
- 12.6% of companies surveyed identify crime, theft and disorder as a major constraint on doing business.

Transparency International: Bribe Payers Index 2008:
- Business executives give police a score of 3.9 on a 5-point scale (1 'not at all corrupt' and 5 'extremely corrupt').