For a city of nearly 10 million inhabitants, the main types of reported crime are homicide (79 cases), motorcycle thefts (8,649) and gambling (974 cases) with a total number of cases at 55,000.

Kompas said that the crime rate in the city stood at 248 per 100,000, meaning that 248 criminal cases occur for every 100,000 people in the population, higher than the national average of 118 per 100,000.

With that said, there is literally no police presence on the roads and almost every single establishment, corporation, institution or store employs security guards who are usually dressed in boots and armed with a distinguishable baton. Based on my observations, generally people are nice, the streets are full of buskers, warung kecil (pushcart vendors) and beggars but no one is out to look for a fight, the people on the streets just want to get to a particular destination or are just looking out for a bit of money.

It’s relatively safe to walk about on the streets in the day. Having said that, it’s a slightly different story once it gets dark, when the sun goes down, the streets will then be filled with idling people. There will be young to middle-aged men sitting lackadaisically at the side of street walks, curbs and corners. They would just be idling there staring at passer-bys, having a smoke, or just squatting there doing nothing but watching passer-bys closely with their roving eyes.

That kinda creeps you out, like “what the hell are they doing here?” They don’t seem to be waiting for anyone in particular nor doing anything useful, but just idling around and this is what makes the streets relatively unsafe at night. It isn’t deserted but filled with people with unknown possibly even mischievous or malicious intent just hanging about and chilling on the sidewalks.

It’s as if they are looking out for a fat lamb or victim to target. Having said that, I am not generalizing the population of Jakarta, most of the people are really pleasant and nice, and their idling is possibly a way of life for the lower-class here in Jakarta.

You don’t know if they are harmless, have malicious intent, or if any of them would actually come to your aid in the event of misfortune, or even exploit your misfortune by mugging you further or taking your other possessions if you were somehow injured or incapacitated on the streets.

I didn’t manage to find much data on sexual crimes in Jakarta except of cases of mass rape committed against Chinese during the May 1998 riots. But if you are returning home alone after work, it is not a good idea to be on the streets after dark.

Even so, Jakarta is known for its rampant petty crime on the streets, such as pick-pocketing, mugging and such. Most of the crime is opportunistic and not premeditated.

The most common petty crime on the streets is often a form of pick-pocketing, snatch-theft or robbery and usually conducted by a small gang or loosely organized small groups of youth (ages 16 – 25) usually targeting men or women returning home late at night alone.

Despite the availability of non-firearm weapons (knives, stun-tasers, batons, parangs) on the streets, weapons are rarely used in petty crime confrontation and violent crime is usually rare for opportunistic thefts or robberies.

I am guessing the weapons are too expensive for the unemployed here as well. You can buy a retractable baton or nightstick for 120,000 – 180,000rp (S$17 - $26), flick and butterfly knives for about 65,000 – 100,000rp (~S$9 - $15), parangs and large knives for about 200,000rp+ (~S$30) and all manner of shurikens (throwing stars), kunai (throwing knives) for about 30,000 – 50,000rp each (~S$7). That’s pretty expensive for a local.

As a rule, walking around Jakarta is neither fun nor practical. With the exception of a few more luxury areas and up street malls, muggings do occur, especially on overhead bridges, and can happen even in the daytime. On public transports, hold your bags close to your body in front of you, if you are carrying a backpack or a knapsack, sling it in front of you instead of behind as pick-pocketing on public transport is common.

Unless you are staying in an upscale apartment or have your own car or motorcycle, do not return home too late at night once it gets dark. After work if you do not have automobile transport, going home in small groups (strength in numbers) is a sufficient deterrence, or a proper form of automobile transport such as an Ojek, Bajaj or a taxi right to your doorstep is definitely a safer (although albeit more expensive) alternative.

If you really have to walk home alone, do so briskly and confidently and pay attention to your surroundings, (don’t talk on the phone, sms or do anything that might bring attention to yourself).

Here in Jakarta, be safe, stay safe.