The local police office of Yogyakarta has planned to take measures on youths who assemble and sit around at midnights on the streets doing nothing to prevent acts of violence.
Social psychology expert of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Prof. Drs. Koentjoro, MBSc., Ph.D., saw this plan as appropriate, but he called for care to do the measures.
Koentjoro hoped the measure to be taken should not be on all groups hanging out around Yogyakarta, but only on those having no clear purposes. These groups are the ones to be on target to minimise misbehaviour or crime.
“Most groups gathering at midnight are close to drinks and crime. The crime generally starts from unclear gathering events,” said the professor from Faculty of Psychology. He suggested the positive gathering should, instead, be encouraged.
He added, “Unemployed groups gathering at midnight should be advised and directed to do more productive things,” he said.
Koentjoro considered the measure was appropriate as it relates to the ethics of Yogyakarta that is known as a student and cultural city that knows no negative hangout habit.
Separately, crime law expert from the same Faculty, Prof. Dr. Marcus Priyo Gunarto, S.H., M.Hum., shared the view that this habit should be put back to good order such as that on beggars or loafers that is already stipulated in the Criminal Laws. Article 505 Paragraph 1 of Criminal Law says that anyone wandering about the streets without certain goals can be prosecuted up to three months imprisonment. Paragraph 2 says that wandering done by three persons or more aged over 16 can be prosecuted to a maximum of 6 months imprisonment.
Marcus said all activities leading to crime should be minimised, thus, measure on the groups gathering for nothing at midnight ought to be taken.
“The measure does not have to involve imprisonment, but through non-criminal law, where the target is briefed and advised to do good,” he said.