'They look good only when in the spotlight'

After 55 years of service, the Jakarta Police are not held in high esteem for the measures they take to uphold their motto "to protect and to serve". In conjunction with their anniversary on Dec. 6, The Jakarta Post asked some residents their views on the performance of the police force.

Wardiman, 42, is a taxi driver. He lives with his family in Cawang, East Jakarta:

There are good police officers, but many others are just shameless. The latter are those who don't hesitate to beat civilians just to get their job done.

I had a good experience once. It was when the police initiated a campaign to encourage motorists to use seat belts. I was stopped because I wasn't wear a seat belt at the time. They did not scold me -- it was a surprise, but instead told me that the seat belt could save my life.

They did not threaten me by telling me how much I would have to pay if the regulation was enacted. That is a good approach to disseminate information, don't you think?

But then again, not all police officers would do that. I wonder whether the police only look good when they are under the public spotlight.

Indria, 26, is a shop attendant at the Mal Ambassador shopping center in South Jakarta. She lives in a low-cost apartment in Petamburan area, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta:

I have never had a problem with the police, nor have I had any problem where I have had to deal with them.

But I have a question: Why are there so many drug dealers wandering around my area without any fear of being nabbed by the police? Those who are caught usually are users, not suppliers.

What is this all about?

I don't believe that the police are unaware of their presence. This area is known as a hot spot for drug dealing. Everybody knows that.

The police should be serious in tackling drug trafficking because too many people in the neighborhood have fallen victim to drug addiction.

--The Jakarta Post