inp.polri.go.id - Riau. Environmental issues can no longer be viewed solely as ecological issues. Environmental damage can ultimately develop into social problems and even threats to public safety.

This view was expressed by Riau Regional Police Chief Inspector General Herry Heryawan while speaking at the Green Cities Mayors Council (GCMC) Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) 2026 Seminar at the Pangeran Hotel, Pekanbaru, Riau, on Wednesday (8/5/2026).

Presenting regional heads and delegates from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, Herry shared his institution’s experience in developing Green Policing, a policing approach that connects law enforcement, environmental damage prevention, education, restoration, and cross-sector collaboration.

Herry stated that the Green Policing idea stemmed from his experience since leading the Riau Regional Police in 2025. Riau boasts extraordinary natural resources, from forests and peatlands that play a vital role in global climate regulation, to rivers that are a source of life for the community.

However, at the same time, Riau also faces various environmental issues such as forest and land fires, illegal mining, illegal logging, encroachment on conservation areas, and river pollution.

As a police officer, Herry said, the first response to these issues is certainly through law enforcement. Perpetrators are sought, processed, and brought to justice. However, along the way, he has seen that law enforcement alone is not enough to break the cycle of environmental problems.

"Every year we still face relatively the same environmental issues. This raises a simple question: why do the same problems continue to occur despite continued law enforcement?" he said.

According to him, environmental crimes have a different character than conventional crimes. Perpetrators can be arrested and prosecuted, but the ecological damage that has occurred cannot be immediately repaired through legal proceedings.

When a river is polluted, for example, the impact goes beyond the legal violation. Children living along the river can lose their living space and the connection to nature that has been passed down through generations.

"The law can stop perpetrators, but law enforcement alone cannot restore the ecosystem. The law can provide certainty, but legal certainty alone does not automatically create sustainability," he said.

This awareness later became one of the starting points for the development of Green Policing in Riau. The police no longer simply asked how to handle environmental crimes, but began to consider how to prevent environmental damage from developing into a security threat.

The sustainability of a city depends on the forests in its upstream areas, the continuity of flowing rivers, trust among communities, and the ability of various institutions to work together.

Therefore, he believes that the future of cities in the IMT-GT region will be determined not only by the speed of development, but also by their ability to maintain a balance between development, the environment, and public safety.

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