Is Your Villa Safe?

(10/16/2010)

Kompas.com carries the a warning that those enjoying a holiday in a Bali villa need to exercise caution as many villas fail to meet established security standards in place in Bali. Those staying in villas that fail to meet security standards often fall victim to criminality.

Speaking at the first session of a security certification program conducted by the Bali police on Wednesday, October 13, 2010, Perry Markus, the secretary of the Bali chapter of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), said "Villa which are privatized for commercial rentals are often targets of crime."

Of the 112 villas enrolling in the certification program, only 71 villas have met the required standards with 41 villas still considered sub-standard. "The 41 villas who we have yet to be certified have failed to meet expectations," explained the Director of Tourism Security at the Bali Police, I Gusti Made Adhi S. Putra. The benchmarks for security at Bali villas cover a number of criteria including personnel, equipment, facilities, software, training and methods for handling civil unrest.

Made Adhi said that those villas failing to meet security standards will undergo security upgrades in order that they can soon obtain certification. "Let's hope that (the villas) not only seek profit, but also pay attention to security," he said.