POLICE CHIEF MONITORS HOME-BOUND ROUTES FROM HELICOPTER

Nagreg, West Java, Sept. 17 (ANTARA) - National Police Chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri monitored home-bound routes in Nagreg, Bandung District, southern West Java, from a helicopter here on Thursday.

General Danuri's helicopter landed at an elementary school in Nagreg at around noon and later proceeded to Aju Nagreg Post to check the preparations of police personnel.

He was accompanied by Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) Chief General Djoko Sanoso, West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan, West Java Police Chief Inspector General Timur Pradopo and Public Affairs Minister Djoko Kirmanto.

According to Minister Kirmanto, the traffic flow in Nagreg was quite good based on the aerial monitoring.

The roads in Nagreg had also been expanded and could be used by home-bound travelers at present, the minister said.

The minister also reminded travelers to be careful as Nagreg area was prone to traffic jams.

An exodus of at least 27 million travelers heading for their hometowns and villages as well as tourist resorts throughout Indonesia, is expected this year in the runup to and during Idul Fitri which is mostly likely to fall next Sunday and Monday (September 20 and 21).

Among places where people stepped up their activities, are shopping malls, traditional markets, places of worship, recreational spots, airports, bus terminals and train stations, National Police Chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri said in his written speech read out by Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto in Bogor, on Sept. 12, 2009.

"The intensified mobility of the public has implications on security and public order," the general said, adding that such a condition must be managed properly in order to ensure the security, comfort and safety of those celebrating Idul Fitir, he said.

For that purpose, the National Police is carrying out 'Ketupat' Operation simultaneously throughout the country in order to provide services and security to the public celebrating Idul Fitri, from seven days before to seven days after Idul Fitri or Lebaran, the police chief said.
Inspector General SY Wenas, a national police deputy chief, said recently in Jakarta that at least 113,000 police officers were mobilized in the Ketupat 2009 Operation in all over Indonesia.