The legal basis for neighbourhood night watch in Indonesian housing has changed. Police Chief Regulation (Perkap) No. 23 of 2007 on the Neighbourhood Security System, the rulebook people meant when they said "siskamling", was revoked by Police Regulation (Perpol) No. 4 of 2020 on Self-Initiated Security. Article 47(a) does the revoking. Since then, a residents' night-watch group has a new official name: Satuan Keamanan Lingkungan, or Satkamling.
For anyone buying into a gated cluster, the change settles a question that usually surfaces at the first neighbourhood (RT) meeting. If you already pay a security fee and there is a guard at the gate, do you still have to take a turn on the night-watch roster?
Guards and Night Watch Sit in Different Chapters
Perpol 4/2020 splits self-initiated security into two groups, Satpam and Satkamling (Article 3(2)). Residents tend to lump them together. They are formed in completely different ways.
| Point | Satpam (security guard) | Satkamling (residents' watch) |
|---|---|---|
| Formed by | A licensed security company (BUJP) or the client that hires guards (Art. 1 point 2) | The residents themselves (Art. 35(1)) |
| Who can serve | Guards who completed Gada Pratama training and hold a police-registered member card (KTA) | Local residents, or people the residents appoint (Art. 37) |
| Sanctions in the regulation | Yes, for example an expired KTA (Art. 43) | None |
| Supervised by | The police | RT/RW for structure, the village community police officer (Bhabinkamtibmas) for technique (Art. 42) |
In a cluster, guards are usually hired by the estate manager or through a security company the manager contracts, and their wages come out of the monthly service charge (IPL). A Satkamling only exists if the residents set one up.
So Is Night Watch Compulsory?
Perpol 4/2020 does not require every household to stand watch. Its sanctions chapter (Articles 43 and 44) covers security guards only. No article penalises a resident for skipping a shift.
Any duty to take a turn comes from the residents' own agreement. The Satkamling head is chosen by consensus from among the RT head, the RW head or a respected community figure (Article 36(1)). The guard post is also set up by residents' consensus (Article 41(3)). If a residents' meeting agrees on a rotating roster, that roster binds socially, and the RT can write it into the neighbourhood rules.
The detail people miss is in Article 37: the people who carry out the watch can be "residents appointed by the local community". That means residents can agree to replace their turns with a fee and pay one or two people to keep watch. It suits clusters full of commuters. Someone catching a 5 a.m. commuter train from Bekasi Station is a poor fit for a 2 a.m. shift at the guard post.
If a Night Watch Runs, Its Limits Are Written Down
Article 39(2) lists what the watch does: stand guard, patrol, warn residents about crime, fire and floods, and report disturbances to the community police officer or the nearest police station. Point (h) allows non-judicial police action, but the case must be handed to the police at the first opportunity. Residents who catch a thief may hold him. They may not punish him.
Once formed, a Satkamling is reported to the police through the local sub-district station, the Polsek (Article 35(3)). In Bekasi Utara, the community police officer assigned to the kelurahan usually handles the technical guidance.
What the Guard Post Should Hold (Article 41)
- an organisation chart and a short practical procedure;
- the duty list and roster set by the head;
- a logbook of shifts and incidents;
- an alarm and communication system "matching the residents' means";
- a first-aid kit and basic disaster equipment.
The phrase "matching the residents' means" matters. A post does not need CCTV or radios. A wooden alarm drum and a residents' WhatsApp group meet the requirement. Article 40, which required a Satkamling uniform, was deleted by Perpol No. 1 of 2023 (promulgated 16 January 2023), so nobody needs to buy a special vest.
In a Gated Cluster, Who Handles What?
It depends on the stage of the estate. Until the roads and shared facilities are handed over to the Bekasi city government, the estate manager runs the guards, the barrier gate and the CCTV, and the cost goes into the IPL. We broke down those cost lines in IPL and maintenance fees, and covered guard hours and camera coverage in one-gate cluster security.
The RT and any Satkamling usually start once enough households have moved in and a committee exists. Guards cover the gate and the main road. A residents' watch usually fills the gaps they cannot reach: a back wall that borders a village, houses still standing empty, or busy nights such as the run-up to Lebaran.
Before signing, ask the estate manager or the sales team three things:
- Are the guards hired directly or through a licensed security company, and do they hold a KTA?
- How much of the IPL goes to security, and is there a separate RT security fee?
- Has an RT been formed, and is there an agreement on night watch or a fee in its place?
In a new cluster, question three often has no answer yet. Other resident rights and duties worth checking are in cluster residents' rights and duties.
Common questions
Are cluster residents legally required to join night watch?
No. Perpol 4/2020 has no sanction for residents who do not take a shift. The duty comes from a residents' agreement, and Article 37 lets the watch be carried out by people the residents appoint, so a shift can be swapped for a fee.
What is the difference between a cluster guard and a Satkamling?
A guard is hired by a licensed security company or by a client such as the estate manager, must complete Gada Pratama training and holds a police-issued KTA. A Satkamling is formed by residents, led by the RT/RW head or a community figure, and guided by the community police officer.
Is Perkap 23/2007 on siskamling still in force?
No. Article 47(a) of Perpol 4/2020 revoked it, and the Satkamling uniform rule in Article 40 was deleted by Perpol 1/2023.
Sources: Police Regulation No. 4 of 2020 on Self-Initiated Security, Articles 1, 3, 35 to 44 and 47; Police Regulation No. 1 of 2023 amending Perpol 4/2020.
Want to know how the cluster is secured?
The Kingspoint team can walk you through the guard arrangement, the barrier gate and the share of the IPL that goes to security at Emerald 70, Jl. Raya Perjuangan, Bekasi Utara.
Chat on WhatsApp