Policing Cybercrime in Indonesia: Institutional Capacity, Legal Challenges, and Emerging Responses

Abstract

The rapid expansion of digital connectivity has increased the complexity and scale of cybercrime, creating significant challenges for law enforcement institutions. Indonesia faces a diverse range of cybercrime threats that require specialised investigative capabilities, effective legal frameworks, and inter-agency cooperation. This study examines the institutional capacity of Indonesian law enforcement agencies in responding to cybercrime and analyses the legal and organisational challenges affecting cybercrime policing. The research uses qualitative analysis of legislation, institutional policies, enforcement frameworks, and selected cases involving cyber-related offences. The study highlights challenges associated with jurisdiction, digital evidence, investigative expertise, inter-agency coordination, and the transnational character of cybercrime. It argues that effective cybercrime policing requires an integrated institutional framework combining technological capability, specialised human resources, legal adaptability, and cooperation with relevant domestic and international stakeholders. The study further emphasises that cybercrime enforcement must balance investigative effectiveness with due process, privacy, and fundamental rights. By examining cybercrime policing within the Indonesian institutional context, this study contributes to the growing literature on digital law enforcement and provides policy considerations for strengthening national cybercrime response capabilities.