Indonesia
Law enforcement in Indonesia
A single national police force, POLRI, that reports directly to the President rather than to a ministry.
Facts on this page were checked against their sources on .
Policing is a single national function. The Indonesian National Police (Kepolisian Negara Republik Indonesia, POLRI) is one national force; its provincial commands (Polda) and district commands (Polres, Polsek) are subordinate units of it, not provincial police. By law, "the Indonesian National Police is under the President" (Law No. 2 of 2002, Pasal 8(1)), and its Chief (Kapolri) "is responsible to the President" (Pasal 8(2)).
The same idea, explained generally
- Why do societies need law enforcement?
Law enforcement exists so that rules apply to everyone rather than to whoever can be compelled. This guide explains the function, the conditions that make it legitimate, and what it cannot do.
- What is the difference between police and law enforcement?
“Police” is one kind of institution. “Law enforcement” is a function that many bodies perform. This guide explains the distinction and why it matters when comparing countries.
Sources
Sources
Law No. 2 of 2002 on the Indonesian National Police (UU 2/2002), Pasal 8
Pemerintah Republik Indonesia (via the official legal-database hosts) · Legislation · 2002 · link verified 2026-07-27
Law No. 2 of 2002 on the Indonesian National Police, Pasal 8, confirmed verbatim in two independent passes. Supports Pasal 8(1) — "Kepolisian Negara Republik Indonesia berada di bawah Presiden" (the Indonesian National Police is under the President) — and Pasal 8(2) (the Chief of Police, Kapolri, is responsible to the President). Establishes that POLRI is a single national force reporting directly to the President rather than to a ministry.