President Jokowi Inaugurates Tito Karnavian as New Indonesian National Police Chief

President Jokowi pinned a four-star badge to newly-inaugurated Indonesian National Police Chief Tito Karnavian on Wednesday (13/7) at the State Palace

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo on Wednesday (13/7) at the State Palace officially inaugurated Comr. General Tito Karnavian as new Chief of the Indonesian National Police (Polri).

On that occasion, the President also raised Tito’s rank from Commissioner General (three star ranks) into General (four star rank).

In his remarks after the inauguration, President Jokowi highlighted two tasks that Tito as the new Polri chief must do in facing challenges that are increasingly tougher and more complex recently, namely maintaining unity and esprit the corps within the Polri and carrying out thorough reforms.

According to President Jokowi, it is only though unity, esprit de corps and harmony, the Polri will have a strong foundation in undertaking tasks mandated by the state, while carrying out comprehensive reforms within the Polri is important to shape characters of members of the Polri with integrity and are able to serve the people well.

Meanwhile, quoting on what the President said on Bhayangkara Day on 1 July, President Jokowi noted that Polri reforms are the key to the future of the Polri.

The President added that the reforms must be carried out from the recruitment process to the changes of the mental and behavior of members of the Polri.

“The Polri reforms must be concrete, one of which is the improvement of service to the people so it is easier, simpler, free from illegal levies and in accordance with the procedures,” the President said.

On that occasion, the President also told Tito to eradicate legal mafia, to take the lead in maintaining diversity among the people, and to be able to create synergy with other government institutions.

“The synergy is needed to involve the people to understand the threats of terrorism and drug abuse and to do early preventions and detections,” the President said.

Tito Karnavian was the best graduate of the Police Academy of the 1987 batch.

When he was inaugurated as the Chief of the Polri, Tito was still Chief of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT).  His previous posts include Chief of the Police Anti-Terrorism Squad (Densus 88), Chief of Papua Regional, and Chief of the Jakarta Regional Police.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by First Lady Ibu Iriana Joko Widodo, Vice President Yusuf Kalla and Ibu Mufidah, former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, members of the Presidential Advisory Board (Wantimpres), heads of state institutions, ministers of the Working Cabinet, Commander of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) General Gatot Nurmantyo, Attorney General Prasetyo, and former Indonesian National Defence Forces (TNI) Commander General (Ret) Wiranto. (DID/RHD/ES) (EP/YM/Naster)