Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto praised Indonesia's national police for expanding their role beyond law enforcement into food security and social welfare, underscoring the force's growing contribution to his administration's flagship programs during the 80th anniversary of the National Police on Wednesday.

Speaking at a ceremony at the Brimob Special Police Training Center in Cikeas, Bogor, Prabowo said the police have become a key pillar in safeguarding national resilience by supporting food production, disaster response, price stability, and the government's strategic initiatives.

"I have seen firsthand how the police's food security program has strengthened national food security, particularly in corn production," Prabowo said.

He also credited the police with helping implement his signature Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program by building more than 1,000 community kitchens across the country. Prabowo described the facilities as among the best constructed for the nationwide school feeding initiative.

The president's endorsement comes as public confidence in the police has improved. A survey by Kompas Research and Development (Litbang Kompas), conducted between April 9 and April 18, found public trust in the National Police rose to 82.4%, up from 76.2% previously. The nationwide poll surveyed 1,200 respondents across all 38 provinces through face-to-face interviews and had a margin of error of 2.83 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

The president said economic prosperity depends on stability, security and clean governance, urging the police to maintain public trust, remain close to citizens and enforce the law fairly.

"Trust is a police officer's strongest weapon," he said, calling on officers to protect the public, defend vulnerable communities, and uphold justice without fear.

Prabowo, accompanied by Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka and National Police Chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo, inspected thousands of police personnel before the ceremony, which featured military-style parades, tactical demonstrations by the Brimob special forces, aerial rescue displays by the police aviation unit, and an exhibition of domestically produced defense and security equipment.

National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Johnny Eddizon Isir said this year's celebration carried the theme "80 Years of Police Service to the People" and highlighted the force's commitment to improving public services and strengthening engagement with communities.

The anniversary events, involving about 9,000 participants from the police, military and civil society, capped weeks of nationwide activities that included health services, charity programs, interfaith prayers, sports competitions, and community outreach.

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