Police teams in Bali are preparing for a huge surge in the number of party-goers this Christmas and New Year holiday.
In order to make sure that everyone can enjoy the party season safely and comfortably, more police units will be deployed across the island’s busiest nightlife destinations.
In anticipation of any revelry getting out of hand in Bali’s most popular party destinations, Bali Police will be carrying out nightly patrols in Badung’s busiest resorts.
Hotspots include Canggu and Seminyak, and police units will be deployed at strategic points to be available to help the community at a moment’s notice.
Badung Police Chief AKBP Teguh Priyo Wasono told reporters, “We want to ensure that people who enjoy night entertainment can take part safely and comfortably. Therefore, we deploy personnel at vulnerable points and tighten supervision in locations that have high potential for [trouble].”
He added, “Increased patrolling is a preventive measure so that the community still feels safe, and we also hope for the community’s active role in reporting suspicious things.”
The strategy includes regular patrols on foot and in police vehicles, as well as using CCTV in strategic locations, working in partnership with local village and resort security teams, and coordinating with nightlife and entertainment venue managers to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
AKBP Wasono said, “With solid cooperation between security officers, business managers, and the community, we are optimistic that the security situation in Badung can remain under control during the Christmas and New Year period.”
Over the last few years, footage has been published online on an almost weekly basis showing fights, brawls, and altercations involving intoxicated tourists at entertainment and nightlife venues across the island’s top resorts.
Tourists planning on enjoying Bali’s vibrant nightlife scene this Christmas and New Year are urged to drink responsibly and to report any suspicious or uncomfortable behavior to police or security teams as quickly as possible.
The efforts of Badung Regency Police in North Kuta are part of Operation Lilin Agung 2024, which will be in effect from 21st December to 2nd January 2025. This is a province-wide operation to increase security efforts at ports, the airport, within resorts, local communities, and on the island’s road networks.
At a multi-agency meeting held on Tuesday, 17th December, chaired by the Denpasar Police Department, AKBP Roy Marantika emphasized the importance of cooperation of all parties in creating safety, security, and comfort during Bali’s Christmas and New Year celebrations, known locally as Nataru.
AKBP Marantika explained, “This Nataru Security is called Operation Lilin Agung 2024. The focus is on security anticipation, potential traffic jams, and conducive [security] situations.”
As part of the security briefing, Denpasar Police Chief, Police Commissioner I Ketut Tomiyasa revealed a number of potentially vulnerable sites and scenarios across the island, including an increase in crime cases in 2023 and 2024, traffic insecurity, and security risks in crime hotspots.
Tomiyasa shared, “Some locations that are of main concern include churches such as Maranata, Santo Yosep, Christ Kasih, and Cathedral, as well as tourist areas such as Kuta Beach Street, GWK, and access to Ngurah Rai Airport.”
Additional security support will be in place across these areas and areas most densely populated with tourists.
A series of dedicated security posts will also be set up across eight hotspots in Bali, including at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, to support and respond to security concerns raised by both airport staff and the public.
These stations will be supported by nearly 300 personnel who will be on patrol around the clock to make sure that everyone is safe, traffic is flowing, and public peace and order is maintained, as over 1.3 million people are due to arrive on the island for the festive holidays.
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