The Return of Pam Swakarsa: Civilian Security Forces Legalized

The Indonesian National Police revived the Pamswakarsa or the civilian security forces that once stirred up political turmoil in 1998. Unlike its prior birth, Pamswakarsa is now a formal institution, similar to the security unit (Satpam) as professional security guards.

The creation of Pamswakarsa is present in the National Police Regulation No. 4/2020, issued on August 5, 2020. One of the points stated in the regulation mentions that Pam Swakarsa’s function is to assist police duties: “To realize domestic security, we need to involve and increase the potential of Pam Swakarsa.” The police claimed that Pam Swakarsa was people’s initiative to create a sense of security in their environment. In the future, Pam Swakarsa and the security guard will be under the coordination of the National Police’s head of the corps for community security agency (Kakorbinmas Baharkam).