Torgamba Police Chief Urges Churches to Protect Children

LABUHANBATU SELATAN | INDATANEWS.COM - Torgamba Police Chief AKP Sunipan Gurusinga, S.H., has called on church congregations and parents to take a more active role in maintaining neighbourhood safety, preventing drug abuse and paying closer attention to the social lives of children and young people. Families and the wider community play a crucial role in protecting young people from crime and risky behaviour.

He delivered the message during the Minggu Kasih (Sunday of Love) programme at GKPS Cikampak Church and HKBP Cikampak Church in Torgamba Subdistrict, Labuhanbatu Selatan Regency, on Sunday, 18 October 2026. The event began at around 10 am Western Indonesian Time in Cikampak Pekan, Aek Batu Village. It provided police with an opportunity to engage directly with residents and raise awareness of the importance of public safety and order.

AKP Sunipan Gurusinga was accompanied by AIPTU Karyanto, acting head of the Traffic Unit; AIPTU Erwin Lubis, acting head of the Professional Ethics and Internal Security Unit; AIPTU PF Tanjung, acting head of the Intelligence Unit; AIPTU Daniansyah, the community policing officer (Bhabinkamtibmas); and BRIGPOL Sofiadi. Members of both GKPS Cikampak Church and HKBP Cikampak Church also attended the programme.

Parents Urged to Protect Children from Youth Crime

During discussions with congregation members, AKP Sunipan highlighted the vital role parents play in protecting their children from various forms of street crime. He urged families to pay attention to where their children go outside the home, whom they spend their free time with and whether they return home late at night without proper supervision.

Parental awareness is an important preventive measure to reduce the risk of children becoming involved in criminal activity or falling victim to crime. Threats such as street robberies, clashes between youth groups and illegal street racing require particular attention from families, communities and law enforcement agencies.

AKP Sunipan also warned young people against becoming involved in motorcycle gangs, whose activities can endanger both their members and other road users. He encouraged parents to maintain open communication with their children so they could better understand their concerns and identify potentially negative influences within their social circles at an early stage.

Parental supervision should go hand in hand with education and guidance at home. Parents can help their children understand the consequences of risky behaviour, build healthy social relationships and take part in positive activities that support their education and future prospects.

Neighbourhood safety cannot be maintained by the police alone. The involvement of families, religious leaders and the wider community is essential to ensuring that crime prevention begins early and reaches children in their immediate living environments.

Churches Encouraged to Prevent Drug Abuse and Strengthen Community Ties

Alongside the dangers of street crime, AKP Sunipan Gurusinga urged congregation members, particularly young people, to stay away from drug abuse. He stressed the importance of protecting the future of the younger generation from behaviour that could damage their personal lives, family relationships and wider community life.

Families and churches are expected to help raise awareness of the dangers of drugs and support children and teenagers in developing healthy social relationships. Consistent guidance can help young people recognise the risks associated with illegal substances and make more responsible decisions.

The police chief also called on congregation members to contribute to a safer living environment through their everyday actions. Residents should pay closer attention to what is happening in their neighbourhoods, alert one another to potential dangers and inform the relevant authorities when signs of security problems emerge.

On the occasion, he also encouraged congregation members to apply the so-called Cooling System, an approach intended to ease tensions and prevent conflicts within the community.

Through this approach, residents are encouraged to strengthen social cohesion, avoid actions that could trigger disputes and set a positive example by promoting peaceful coexistence. Religious leaders and socially engaged residents have an important role in building stronger relationships and resolving problems before they escalate into disturbances of public order.

AKP Sunipan further urged residents to remain vigilant against crime and share information about potential dangers with one another. Such collective efforts are expected to strengthen the local community's resilience in dealing with a range of social problems.

Road Safety and Police Emergency Hotline 110

On road safety, AKP Sunipan reminded residents to comply with traffic regulations. Motorcyclists should wear protective helmets, carry their driving licences (Surat Izin Mengemudi, or SIM) and ensure that their vehicle registration certificates (Surat Tanda Nomor Kendaraan, or STNK) are available.

He also urged all road users to drive carefully and avoid reckless behaviour, including illegal street racing, which puts the lives and health of participants and other people at risk. The message was directed particularly at young people, who were reminded to use public roads for their intended purpose rather than treating them as racetracks to test their vehicles' speed.

Road safety depends on the discipline of every road user. By obeying traffic regulations, individuals protect not only themselves but also their passengers, pedestrians and others on the road.

To encourage greater public participation in maintaining security, AKP Sunipan Gurusinga also introduced the police emergency hotline 110. The free service allows residents to report security disturbances or request police assistance without needing mobile phone credit.

The public is encouraged to use the service to report incidents and potential threats to safety in their respective neighbourhoods. Information received through the hotline can help the police forward reports to the relevant units, including Torgamba Police Station under the Labuhanbatu Selatan Regency Police.

Promoting awareness of the reporting service is also intended to improve communication between residents and the police. The willingness of members of the public to share information is an important factor in responding to security concerns and preventing problems from escalating.

Through the Minggu Kasih programme, Torgamba Police Station continues to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with the public, including church congregations. The initiative aims to maintain security and public order throughout the jurisdiction of the Labuhanbatu Selatan Regency Police.

Direct engagement with residents enables the police to communicate preventive messages while encouraging the public to take an active role in protecting children, preventing drug abuse, promoting road safety and strengthening social cohesion.

The Minggu Kasih programme concluded safely and without incident. Torgamba Police Station hopes residents will put the public safety advice into practice in their daily lives, helping to create an increasingly safe, orderly and harmonious environment throughout Labuhanbatu Selatan Regency. (IDNC)

REPORTER: Jhon Fitra Sagala | EDITOR: Fik Sagala

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