If you quite frequently travel by trains, you would see officers wearing a paramilitary uniform and orange beret around. No, it’s not Brimob. Few Brimob or Mobile Brigade Corps personnels (with blue beret) often guard trips on railway too. But not as much as Special Police Train or so-called Polisi Khusus Kereta Api (Polsuska) a.k.a. Orange Railway Police (ORP).
Polsuska is part of special police units who are there to serve and to protect the consumers of train service, and to secure the assets of PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI). Their job description is as what police do, but specifically for security on the trains and in train stations. Maybe, it’s like a combination between security guards and municipal police. But, as a partner of the Republic of Indonesia Police, Polsuska has authority to:
- Carry out enforcement tasks of pre-emptive, preventive, and repressive non justicially.
- Apply sanctions according to the legislation.
- Ward, capture, investigate, and report on any activity they are handling.
Typically, Polsuska squad are recruited from a third party, which are business security service providers (BUJP), the Armed Forces of the Republic of Indonesia (TNI), and Republic of Indonesia Police (Polri). In case it’s picked from Indonesian Army or Police, the personnel shall retire first and change its status as a regular private employees at PT Kereta Api Indonesia.
Some Areas of Operation (Daop) KAI have been taking advantages of ex-soldiers for Polsuska posts. This is legal, since PT Kereta Api Indonesia has an agreement with the Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief (Panglima TNI). There is no privilege, though. The candidates from TNI have to pass the basic tests as well, such as medical and academic examinations.
The involvement of former soldiers into Polsuska at least based on two considerations. First, to make use of existing human resources, in this case, the TNI personnels who are close to their retirement or want a career in the civilian field. Second consideration, it would not need to start from the scratch as they have developed skills of security procedure.
In addition to the provision of human resources, the cooperation does also include training programs. Polsuska task is to assist the police, but the training is following the Marine Corps program.
There, Polsuska personnels have to master survival skills, sea swimming, mountaineering, leadership, mass riot handling, first aid and health knowledge, military martial arts, application of light firearms, etc. After the training, graduated Polsuska personnels back to each Daop to complete the tasks of handling stowaways, hawkers, and so forth.
However, since Polsuska works on a service business, i.e. public transportation, they are educated and expected to perform useful, friendly attitude. That’s what distinguish Polsuska from other paramilitary units. [Photos from Kereta-Api.co.id]
