0 Bali needs 92 patrol cars for delegates

At the close of the second month of this year, the Bali Police have completed another phase of preparations for the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit the island will host in October. Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Arif Wachyunadi said that his force had completed an inventory of patrol cars that would be used to safeguard the summit delegates. “The number of patrol cars owned by the Bali Police will not be enough to support a large-scale international event like APEC,” he said on Thursday. 

As the summit will be attended by representatives from 23 countries, the police will need a total of 92 patrol cars, assuming that each country will use four cars. Half of the total number of cars will be supplied by the East Java Police and West Nusa Tenggara Police. In addition to the patrol cars, 20 riot vehicles were needed to safeguard the event, but the Bali Police only had three, Arif said. “A meeting is now underway at the National Police headquarters. Our representatives from the Bali Police attending the meeting conveyed what we need to prepare for the event.” 

“Our personnel have been well trained and our weapons have been well prepared,” he said, adding that his force would continue to escalate preparations. On Thursday, a rehearsal was held at a field in Renon, Denpasar, during which a bomb squad performed a simulation. The scenario demonstrated the squad’s preparedness to rescue US delegates from a bombing. A bomb squad will be part of each troop guarding delegates’ entourages. Arif said the Bali Police would continue to improve the troops’ preparedness for such emergency situations ahead of the event. 

Half of the Bali Police’s personnel will continue their daily tasks during the APEC Summit, while the remainder will safeguard the event together with forces from other areas. Security will be enhanced at the island’s entrances, along the routes the delegates will use, as well as around the venue. “We will also enhance security at tourist destinations that will be visited by the delegates. We will coordinate with the Bali administration to arrange security measures,” Arif said. 

Head of the provincial Tourism Agency, IB Kade Subhiksu, said that the agency had yet to discuss the preparations with the police, but had held a meeting with officials from the provincial administration. “APEC will be organized by the central government in cooperation with the Bali, Denpasar and Badung administrations,” he said. Before the rehearsal, the police had also completed other preparations, including monitoring geographical conditions across Bali. The police will also collected blueprints from hotels where the delegates will stay.

source : bali daily