Restructuring Polairud As A Strategy To Strengthen Indonesia’s Maritime Security

As the world’s largest archipelagic country, Indonesia has an extensive and strategically significant maritime area. However, it is also vulnerable to various maritime security threats, both traditional and non-traditional. The Water and Air Police (Polairud) of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) plays a vital role in ensuring security, law enforcement, and the presence of the state in maritime areas. Nevertheless, the current position of Polairud under the structure of the Security Maintenance Agency (Baharkam Polri) is considered inadequate in addressing the complexity of these challenges.This article aims to examine the urgency of restructuring the organisational framework of Polairud to establish it as an independent institution, equal to other primary task-executing units of Polri such as the Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) and the Mobile Brigade Corps (Korbrimob). Using a qualitative approach with normative-empirical methods, this article analyses regulatory data, maritime crime statistics, and institutional practices in other countries. The study’s findings reveal that unequal echelon structures, limited coordinating authority, and uneven distribution of defence equipment are the main obstacles to Polairud’s effectiveness. Therefore, elevating the institutional status of Polairud is a strategic step to strengthen maritime security, support the achievement of the 2025–2029 National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN), and realise Indonesia’s vision as a global maritime fulcrum.