Mounted police to help maintain security

The Indonesian police are also to assign mounted officers to help maintain security during the 18th ASEAN Summit to be held at the Jakarta Convention Center in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on May 7-8. 

"The police officers on horse back are members of the National Police`s cavalry unit," a spokesman, Brigadier Yusuf, said here Wednesday. 

The cavalry detail would consist of 10 horses and 22 officers who would ride the horses in shifts on patrol duties around the ASEAN Summit venue, Yusuf said. 

"The mounted officers are to patrol the summit venue`s perimeter once every two hours," he said.

Apart from security patrol duties, the cavalry detail could also assist in any tracking effort to secure the conference`s venue, said Yusuf 

"Cavalry details are often used in big events, especially those attended by international delegates," he said. 

For the 19th ASEAN Summit on December 5-8, 2011, the police would deploy approximately 4,385 men to secure the event. Police would bear responsibility for security in sectors (rings) II and III, while the Presidential Security Force (Paspampres) would be on duty in the most inner sector or ring I.

The police officers taking part in the ASEAN Summit security maintenance effort would come from the force`s traffic, intelligence and security units as well as the Mobile Brigade (Brimob).

Besides the conference`s venue, the police and Presidential Security Force members would also guard Jakarta`s international airport and the hotels where the high-ranking delegates would stay. 

Source: ANTARA