As an effort to anticipate vandalism done by irresponsible people, the caretakers of Taman Prasasti Museum, Jalan Tanah Abang 1, Petojo Selatan Urban Village, Gambir Sub-District, Central Jakarta, are setting up 27 closed-circuit televisions (CCTV). Previously, some of the museum’s collections were damaged because of the vandalism.

Indeed, in this museum there are several statues which hands broken because of the work of ignorant hands

“Indeed, in this museum there are several statues which hands broken because of the work of ignorant hands,” said Ridwan (30), Taman Prasasti Museum security officer, Monday (9/1).

According to him, the museum’s collections were vandalized by local residents who live around the museum. They got into the museum area by jumping over the back wall of the museum.

“They usually came in from the back wall and then vandalized the statues and inscriptions in this museum,” he told.

Ridwan stated that his party has repeatedly warned the locals, who are mostly school students, to get into the museum through the front door. They are even allowed to get in without having to pay Rp 5,000 each for entrance ticket price.

“The locals around here are hard to be given explanation. If they said nicely they wanted to get in, we’ll surely allow them. That is better than enter secretly from the back of the museum. That is also why we install 27 CCTVs as standard security of the museum,” he asserted.

In addition, Ridwan also admitted that he does not for sure how many statues and inscriptions damaged because of the ignorant hands of irresponsible people.

“We haven’t record the data. One thing for sure is that the broken statues are not much. Every day, three security officers are patrolling round the clock in this museum,” he uttered.