App-Based Monitoring Launched in Surabaya

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

The Sipandu application, which was launched by the Surabaya city administration on Wednesday (23/5/2018). In response to a series of bomb attacks in Surabaya, the application, which can only be accessed by Neighborhood Unit/Community Unit (RT/RW) heads and the management boards of places of worship, is intended to monitor deviant activities.

SURABAYA, KOMPAS – As part of anticipatory measures against terrorist activity in Surabaya, East Java, the Surabaya city administration has launched an app-based citizen monitoring system. Neighborhood unit (RT) and community unit (RW) heads, as well as managements of houses of worship are expected to report on any deviant activity.

Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini said the app-based monitoring was established to facilitate better reporting from RT ad RW heads. This will hopefully lead to increased interaction between RT and RW administrations and residents. These local administrations must know all activities in their areas and report them to the city administration.

“RT and RW heads must know their residents and can detect actions and behaviors deviating from religious teachings and state regulations early on,” said Risma, as the mayor is popularly known, in Surabaya on Wednesday (23/5/2018).

Risma said early detection on the recent terror attacks in Surabaya should have been possible. This is because the families who set off the bombs at the three churches and the city police headquarters, namely those of Dita Oepriarto, 42, and Tri Martiono, were Surabaya residents. Anton Ferdiantono, 35, who reportedly set off the bombs by accident at his apartment unit in Wonocolo low-cost apartments (Rusunawa) in Sidoarjo, was also a Surabaya resident.

“The local RT heads said the families of bombers showed strange behaviors, including coming late to prayers [at local mosque] and avoid mingling with other locals,” Risma said.

Such activities and behaviors can now be reported through an application named Sipandu or Sistem Informasi Pantauan Penduduk (Population Monitoring Information System). All RT and RW heads must own the application, which can be downloaded on their Android gadgets. The RT and RW heads will receive their usernames and passwords from their subdistrict heads as the application is not accessible by the general public.

RT and RW heads can use the application to create a database of people coming to and leaving their neighborhoods. The population data can be sorted to increase data accuracy. RT and RW heads can also include citizens’ personal information, including driver’s license number, family card number and ID card number.

“Apart from RT and RW heads, I also urge all caretakers of houses of worship to report their congregants’ activities. They have been asked to monitor sermons and discussions taking place at their respective house of worship to detect on the spread of radical ideas,” Risma said.

Surabaya city police chief Sr. Comr. Rudi Setiawan urged all locals to be actively engaged in preventing the spread of terrorism and radicalism in Surabaya. RT and RW heads are expected to report any resident exhibiting deviant behavior to the police. “Do not be reluctant or afraid to report. The police will determine the next moves,” Rudi said.

According to Rudi, terrorism prevention should involve not only the police but also the citizens through their active engagement. This is because residents know much more about their immediate environment. “Terrorism and radicalism is a problem not only for the government but also for everyone. Residents must be involved in preventing them,” Rudi said.

(SYA)