SORONG – The ranks of the Southwest Papua Regional Police (Polda) are moving quickly to make preparations to support operational implementation after being formed last November 2024.
After Brigadier General (Brigjend) Pol Gatot Haribowo was appointed as Regional Police Chief, they now have a Regional Police Headquarters (Mapolda), which was officially opened on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
The opening of the temporary Mapolda building, which was marked by the opening of the signboard veil, is located at Jalan Sandiwon, Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua.
For information, the Southwest Papua Police Headquarters building was previously the UNIPA Campus building for the Faculty of Mining Engineering.
By the Sorong Regency Government (Pemkab), it was handed over for temporary use by the Southwest Papua Police.
Jhoni Way, Pj Sekda of Southwest Papua Province, said that the provincial government had thought about finding a building to be used as a Police Headquarters, after the inauguration of Brigadier General Gatot Haribowo as Regional Police Chief.
“After discussions with the Acting Regent of Sorong, it was finally agreed that the campus building would be used temporarily as the Southwest Papua Police Headquarters,” said Jhoni.
He said, in the future the Southwest Papua Police Headquarters building will be built anew, occupying a location in front of the UNIPA Faculty of Medicine Campus in Klamesen, Mariat District, Sorong Regency covering an area of 50 hectares.
“The government has prepared 50 hectares of land. Talks have been held with indigenous people and landowners through a long process,” said Jhoni.
He hopes that with the Mapolda building, it can have a positive impact on improving the performance of police officers in maintaining security and order in the jurisdiction of Southwest Papua Province.
Brigadier General Gatot Hariwibowo, Southwest Papua Police Chief on that occasion said that the need for an organization in Southwest Papua Province was officially born, of course balanced with the presence of Polda and Kodam.
“This Mapolda belongs together. I expect participation and support from all parties when it starts operating,” he pleaded.
The Kapolda said that to build the Mapolda, the provincial government needs to prepare land, which is then budgeted for physical development by the Police institution.
“The central government program in 2025, maybe including the construction of the Southwest Papua Police Headquarters, we don’t know for sure. But it is unlikely to be too long, because Southwest Papua is already 2 years old,” he concluded.
