Police Nominate Pioneer Soekanto Tjokrodiatmodjo as National Hero
Jakarta. A biography of Raden Said Soekanto Tjokrodiatmodjo, Indonesia's first police chief, was launched at the police academy in South Jakarta on Thursday (11/08).
Soekanto is often called the father of the National Police, having led the force for 14 years since its formation just after independence, from Sept. 29, 1945 to Dec. 14, 1959.
The police have asked the government to grant the title of national hero to Soekanto to recognize his service to the nation.
"Soekanto founded the Indonesian police force from scratch. No office, no staff. The first president, Soekarno, officially appointed him as police chief on July 1, 1946, a date now celebrated as Bhayangkara Day [the Indonesian National Police's official anniversary]," police spokesman Gen. Insp. Boy Rafli Amar said.
The biography was written by a former police chief, retired general Awaloeddin Djamin, with help from Ambar Wulan, a lecturer from the University of Indonesia.
"Being named a national hero would be just rewards for Soekanto and the police corps. So far the only policeman to have been awarded the title is the late Gen. Muhammad Yasin," Boy said.
Jasin was a freedom fighter during the independence war and the founder of the police's mobile brigade, or Brimob.
Ambar Wulan backed Boy's comments.
"During wartime, crime rates were high. Soekanto had to pull all his resources to lead the police under difficult circumstances," she said. Tragically, he was left practically penniless when he died. He was still living at a police boarding house in Ragunan [in South Jakarta]."
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