Medan, Formosa News — The enforcement of discipline and professional codes of ethics is essential to strengthening professionalism, accountability, and integrity within the Indonesian National Police (Polri). This issue is examined in a scholarly article by Tarmizi Lubis and Rahmat Ramadhani of the Master’s Program in Law at Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara, published in September 2026. The article highlights the importance of balancing internal law enforcement with legal protection and personnel welfare to improve the quality of public services.
Public attention to police professionalism continues to grow, particularly in response to cases involving disciplinary violations, abuse of authority, and breaches of professional ethics. These challenges demonstrate the need for an internal oversight system capable of addressing misconduct fairly while protecting officers who perform their duties in accordance with applicable laws.
According to Tarmizi Lubis and Rahmat Ramadhani, disciplinary enforcement cannot rely solely on sanctions. It must also foster an organizational culture that upholds integrity, accountability, legal compliance, and a strong commitment to public service.
Legal Protection Does Not Mean Legal Immunity
One of the article’s main findings is that legal protection for police officers must not be interpreted as immunity from legal accountability. Instead, it serves as a safeguard ensuring that officers who perform their duties within their lawful authority and follow established procedures receive legal certainty and fair treatment.
The study refers to Law No. 2 of 2002 concerning the Indonesian National Police, Government Regulation No. 2 of 2003 concerning Disciplinary Regulations for Members of the Indonesian National Police, and Indonesian National Police Regulation No. 7 of 2022 concerning the Professional Code of Ethics and the Police Code of Ethics Commission.
During investigations into alleged misconduct, police officers retain their rights as legal subjects. These include the right to know the allegations against them, present a defense, and receive decisions based on valid evidence and lawful procedures. These principles are important for preventing arbitrary actions and ensuring that internal disciplinary proceedings remain objective.
At the same time, officers who exceed their authority or violate the law remain subject to disciplinary, ethical, civil, or criminal accountability, as applicable. Legal protection and institutional accountability must therefore operate together.
Personnel Welfare Extends Beyond Salary and Benefits
The article also emphasizes that the welfare of Polri personnel encompasses much more than salaries and financial benefits. It includes career certainty, occupational safety, legal protection, opportunities for competency development, and support for physical and mental health.
The demanding nature of police work, operational risks, psychological pressure, and high public expectations make institutional support essential. Unequal workloads, uneven personnel distribution, and the growing complexity of technology-based and transnational crimes also present challenges for police human resource management.
For this reason, the authors stress the importance of a personnel management system that goes beyond administrative and financial considerations. Such a system should also prioritize workplace safety, professional development, psychological well-being, and a fair working environment.
This broader approach is expected to support the development of police personnel who are competent, ethical, resilient, and capable of carrying out their responsibilities professionally.
Study Uses a Normative Legal Research Approach
Tarmizi Lubis and Rahmat Ramadhani employed normative or doctrinal legal research. This approach examines legislation, legal concepts, and relevant cases concerning disciplinary enforcement, professional ethics, legal protection, and the welfare of Polri personnel.
Primary, secondary, and tertiary legal materials were analyzed qualitatively using a prescriptive analytical method. The researchers applied statutory, conceptual, and case approaches to examine how the legal framework regulates police authority, professional accountability, and personnel rights.
Rather than measuring public opinion through surveys or testing statistical relationships, the study focuses on legal provisions, principles, and institutional governance.
The analysis indicates that existing regulations provide a legal foundation for enforcing discipline and professional ethics. However, challenges remain in integrating oversight, personnel development, legal protection, and welfare management into a comprehensive system.
Transparency and Prevention Are Essential to Professionalism
Another key finding is that the effectiveness of disciplinary enforcement depends on consistent rule implementation, transparent examinations, objective decision-making, and accountable sanctions.
The Professional and Security Division (Propam) plays an important role in maintaining internal police oversight. Its responsibilities extend beyond taking action against violations to include prevention, personnel development, supervision, and evaluation of officers’ conduct.
The authors argue that disciplinary enforcement should not be limited to responding to misconduct after it occurs. Professional ethics education, leadership development, personnel mentoring, and regular evaluations of organizational culture should become integral parts of Polri’s human resource management system.
A fair and transparent system can provide officers with greater certainty regarding their rights and obligations. At the same time, consistent oversight helps ensure that police authority is exercised in accordance with the law and the public interest.
Implications for Public Services and Public Trust
The findings have implications for police institutional management and efforts to improve public service delivery. Objective disciplinary enforcement, combined with legal protection and personnel welfare, can provide a foundation for a more professional and accountable police organization.
For the public, stronger internal oversight is expected to increase confidence that allegations of misconduct are handled through fair and accountable procedures. For police officers, legal certainty and adequate institutional support can help create a more conducive working environment.
At the policy level, the authors recommend strengthening disciplinary enforcement governance by integrating it with legal protection mechanisms and integrity-based human resource management.
The article also highlights the need for a more integrated legal protection system, particularly in relation to legal assistance, protection against operational risks, restoration of reputation, and administrative rehabilitation for personnel who meet the applicable legal requirements.
Ultimately, police professionalism depends not only on the firmness of disciplinary sanctions but also on procedural fairness, consistent oversight, effective personnel development, and attention to officers’ welfare. Balancing these elements is essential to building a professional, modern, and trusted Indonesian National Police.
Author Profiles
- Tarmizi Lubis - Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara, Indonesia.
- Rahmat Ramadhani - Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara, Indonesia.
Research Source
Journal: Contemporary Journal of Applied Sciences (CJAS)
Volume and Issue: Volume 4, No. 9
Publication Year: 2026
Pages: 887–898
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/cjas.v4i9.208
Journal Website: https://ntlformosapublisher.org/index.php/cjas
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