Badung Drafts Plan for Bankamda Security Role at Tourist Sites

Badung — — Badung Regency is drafting a plan to involve Bantuan Keamanan Desa Adat (Bankamda), the customary village security body, in monitoring tourism areas in their respective territories, Regent I Wayan Adi Arnawa said on Friday, 18 September 2026, according to local media reports.

The administration is also studying budget support for Bankamda operations in tourist zones, including possible financial support for personnel assigned additional security duties, though the form and mechanism of this support have not yet been decided.

Regency seeks more security capacity in tourist areas

Adi Arnawa said the regency’s existing human resources, such as staff from the Transportation Agency and the Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP), are not sufficient to provide rapid supervision across Badung’s tourism areas, according to an interview published by detikBali.

He framed the proposal as part of wider efforts to improve order and visitor comfort at public facilities and attractions, including keeping pedestrian areas from being used for parking, trading or motorised traffic, as reported by Bali Post.

Under the emerging plan, supervision would be organised according to the customary-village jurisdictions that contain tourism destinations. Bankamda is described in provincial regulations as a village-based security organisation whose membership typically includes pecalang, the traditional Balinese security officers.

The regent emphasised that local customary villages would need to support the arrangement and share responsibility for implementation, with technical discussions to involve the regional secretary, Satpol PP, customary village leaders (bendesa adat) and village heads (perbekel), Bali Post reported.

Focus shifts from pecalang incentives to Bankamda support

Debate in Badung initially centred on proposals to provide incentives to pecalang assigned to help secure tourism areas. The regent later clarified that the planned support is intended for Bankamda as an institution, not for pecalang alone, according to Bali Post.

Bankamda in many villages includes pecalang as part of its membership, but any operational support would be directed to Bankamda’s broader security role, with details adjusted to the conditions and needs of each village.

The regent said the administration has earmarked funding in the 2026 revised regional budget (APBD Perubahan) to follow up on the programme, while the specific amount and distribution scheme remain under discussion.

Legal basis and operational rules still being discussed

Members of the Badung Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) have pointed to Bankamda’s existing legal basis under Bali Governor Regulation No. 4 of 2019, and suggested that any incentive scheme for village-based security at tourist sites should be set out in regulations agreed between DPRD and the regency government following consultation with the Majelis Desa Adat (MDA), Bali Post reported.

Key operational details have yet to be finalised, including how Bankamda personnel will coordinate with police, Satpol PP and the Transport Agency, the scope of their authority at tourist locations and the specific expectations for their role in visitor safety and public order.

Local reports also indicate that the government has not yet set a timetable for implementation or named the customary villages that would participate, and has not disclosed the level of support that Bankamda units might receive for tourism-related duties.

Planning stage, not yet an operational programme

Both the regent and DPRD members describe the Bankamda involvement in tourism supervision as a proposal under technical preparation rather than an active, regency-wide programme.

Further regulatory and budget decisions will be needed before the scheme can be implemented, and before residents, businesses and village authorities can assess how Bankamda’s security role will work alongside existing public agencies and private security providers in Badung’s tourism areas.

Sources

• detikBali
• Bali Post