Why Indonesians Trust Firefighters More Than the Police

A Structural Problem, Not an Individual One

There is a question that sounds almost humorous at first — but reveals something deeply unsettling once we think about it seriously.

Imagine hearing suspicious noises outside your home late at night. Or finding yourself in a small emergency that leaves you unsure of what to do. Instinctively, who would you call first?

If your answer is not the police, you are far from alone.

In Indonesia, this is no longer a social media joke or an isolated anecdote. It has become a measurable indicator of a deeper institutional problem.

In November 2025, Indonesia’s Deputy National Police Chief publicly acknowledged before Parliament that many citizens now prefer calling the Fire and Rescue Service rather than the police because firefighters respond more quickly.

“Our average response time is still above ten minutes, while the United Nations standard is below ten minutes. This is something we must improve.”

When the country’s highest law enforcement institution openly admits that citizens place greater trust in firefighters than in the police, the issue is no longer operational efficiency.

It is a public diagnosis of a much deeper institutional failure.

What the Evidence Actually Shows

Before discussing why this is happening, it is worth looking at the available evidence.

According to the Ipsos Global Trustworthiness Index 2024, only 41 percent of Indonesians expressed trust in the national police. A separate survey conducted by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) reported a slightly higher figure — 48.1 percent — yet the conclusion remained the same: more than half of Indonesian citizens do not fully trust the institution that is supposed to protect them.

Meanwhile, data from Jakarta’s Fire and Rescue Service tells a remarkably different story.

Throughout 2024, firefighters handled more non-fire emergencies than actual fires. Residents called them to rescue cats stranded on rooftops, unlock homes, remove dangerous animals, and respond to countless everyday emergencies. In one widely discussed incident, firefighters were even asked to deal with what residents believed was a haunted house — and in another, to help apprehend a thief.

These requests were never part of the agency’s formal mandate.

Yet people kept calling them.

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung publicly described the Fire and Rescue Service as the government institution enjoying the highest level of public trust.

The same concern was echoed by Abdullah, a member of Parliament’s Commission III overseeing law enforcement.

“People have become reluctant to report incidents to the police. Instead, they choose to contact firefighters because they believe they will receive a faster response. This should serve as serious introspection for the National Police.”

At first glance, this may appear to be a simple issue of response time.

It is not.

The preference for firefighters reveals something much more fundamental: citizens are making judgments not merely about speed, but about which public institution they believe will actually show up when needed.

That distinction matters.

Because trust in public institutions is rarely built through speeches or public relations campaigns. It is built through repeated experiences that convince ordinary people one institution is more likely than another to fulfill its responsibility.

And that raises a much larger question.

Why has Indonesia reached a point where citizens increasingly trust firefighters more than the police?

The answer, I would argue, has surprisingly little to do with individual officers.

It has everything to do with institutional design.

About the Author Athifa Huda is an independent researcher specializing in public policy, law, and global governance. This article is part of the “Civilizational Notes” series, an initiative aimed at fostering critical, evidence-based civic understanding.

The academic version of this analytical series is available on Zenodo: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21151773

The visual version is available on Instagram: @athifahuda3.

The facts presented are drawn from verified surveys, credible media reports, and official statements by government officials. If there are any factual inaccuracies, the author welcomes constructive corrections and will respond in the comments section.