ACROWD of men is gathered in a narrow alleyway. But the camera is firmly focused on one man pressed up against a wall. He is an alleged kidnapper who has just been busted by plainclothes police. The whole scene oozes tension and high drama.
His luck really ran out that afternoon; nabbed by the police. But he was not going to go quietly. He spun the police a cock-and-bull yarn about the house that was being raided, and when the officers' attention was diverted, he made one last, desperate bid for freedom. One of the officers shouted: “He's making a run for it!" Shots rang out all around the alley and almost instantly the suspect was lying dead in a pool of blood.
This was no scene from a Hollywood action flick, but rather a “real live" glimpse of the Indonesian police in action in East Jakarta. The report was aired some time ago on Patroli, a top crime show on Indosiar television station. And this wasn't the only riveting report on the show that day. There was also a supposedly live segment on plainclothes police arresting a drug dealer.
The crime shows have recently graduated from simple interviews with alleged criminals and their victims to following the police on their raids. The camera acts as a roving eye for viewers ever eager to see criminals getting appropriate comeuppance. Few details escape the attention of the all-seeing camera, whose domain seems to extend even into the bedroom. “It's exclusive images like these that appeal to the viewers," explained Mahfudz Mabrori, the producer of Patroli.
Of course, there is a reason for all this. Crime shows are currently enjoying top ratings. Following Indosiar's spectacular success with Patroli, which first appeared in 1999, other channels have now also followed suit with similar types of programs. Last year, RCTI launched Sergap, which was then followed by SCTV's Buser, which first hit the screens last April. And there is still plenty of advertising to go around. “The number of ads for Sergap slots is close to what we get for Seputar Indonesia [flagship news program]," said Driantama, the producer of Sergap.
So far, the main audience for these crime shows consists of housewives. There is no doubt that this particular audience is enthusiastic. Apart from Latin American soap operas, there is nothing that quite matches blood, handcuffs and pistols to keep the spirits up while preparing lunch.
The reality behind these shows is well understood by media observer Veven Sp. Wardhana. According to Veven, crime news is a commodity that can be bought and sold just like any other. The only problem, he says, is that to date the shows have only highlighted police successes in combating crime. “It's all good PR for the police. It's rare indeed that we witness a police cockup," he pointed out.
There is no doubt about it: the police are always in the driving seat-if these shows are anything to go by. Take, for example, a report last week on the arrest of a shaman in Tangerang who purported to be invested with the miraculous power of turning plastic into money. The camera constantly zoomed in on the leader of the operation as he interrogated the hapless shaman. Meanwhile, pistol-toting police officers crowded around anxious not to be left out of the limelight.
But, is it really like that or is it actually all fabricated? “Sometimes we ask the police to re-enact an arrest if we missed it on camera the first time," admitted the producer of one of the shows.
The blood-and-guts nature of the shows has also made some members of the police uneasy. According to Inspector General Saleh Saaf, chief spokesman of the National Police, the producers should avoid showing too much of the nitty-gritty. “They shouldn't be showing images of blood and the like," said an irritated Saleh. Not much hope of that, though! He claimed he had already sent directives out to local police districts. “I told them they must not invite journalists out on raids," he asserted.
Saleh should bear in mind, however, that it is precisely the blood and guts that attracts viewers. Just have a look at the film Showtime, starring Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy. Crime really does pay, at least as far as the television channels and their newfound stars in the police force are concerned.
Irfan Budiman, Tomi Lebang
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