For the past 27 years, police reform has positioned Polri as a civilian institution and the functioning authority in the criminal justice system. This significant mandate grants the police extensive and diverse powers, requiring them to demonstrate measurable, professional and accountable performance.

The primary measure of police performance should be their ability to deliver justice to the community, acting fairly, without discrimination and actively protecting vulnerable groups such as children, women, the poor, the elderly and indigenous peoples. Police Law No. 2/2002 details at least 48 duties and authorities across Articles 14, 15 and 16.

This is further expanded by special laws, including Presidential Instruction No. 1/2016 on accelerating National Strategic Projects, Presidential Regulation No. 5/2025 on Forest Area Order and the Police Special Task Force for Optimizing State Revenue.

Furthermore, the police's use of surveillance powers under the Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE) Law is sparking concerns over potential abuses and privacy violations. While the police are tasked with cyberspace supervision and security, critics argue that specific provisions, like Article 14, could enable mass surveillance. This, in turn, might lead to a chilling effect on free speech, discouraging open expression online.

Police duties and authorities are not limited to law enforcement but also encompass maintaining public security and order, providing public services and other assigned tasks. Due to its extraordinary, cross-sectoral authority, Polri is often described as a "super body".

Unfortunately, this broad power is frequently abused. Many police members, from the lower to higher levels, are implicated in crimes like corruption, drug abuse and providing security for various criminal activities such as illegal mining and logging.