TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The arrest of two West Java police officers for taking bribes from people running online gambling should make us both happy and annoyed. Happy because these dishonest officers were caught by their own institution, and annoyed because it seems that this nation will never be rid of crooked police officers.

The two West Java officers, Adj. Sr. Comr. Murjoko Budoyono and Adj. Comr. Dudung S., have now been indicted. Murjoko is the head of West Java Police Crimes and Violence Sub-Unit III, while Dudung is under Murjoko in the same unit.

The West Java Police deserve a thumbs-up because they followed up on suspicions over the lack of progress in the investigation into online gambling in the province. The police blocked 18 bank accounts belonging to three online gambling organizers on July 17. The investigation eventually uncovered the names of Murjoko and Dudung in the organization. It is probable that other senior police officers were involved. The National Police headquarters must have the courage to do what is needed. If necessary for example to maintain objectivity the police force could involve the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to deal with this case.

The image of the police, which was damaged by the gecko-versus-crocodile affair, the fat bank accounts and the driving license simulator scandal must be purged if it is to be sensitive to developments and the demands of the times. The time for protecting colleagues who break the law has passed. The cleanup must start at home. The braver the leadership in the police force in taking action against dishonest officers, the more credible they will be in the eyes of the public.

The police need to learn from the way other state officials have worked to clean their homes of crooked officials. More than a few regional chief executives have fired dishonest officials in their first few months in office. In order to strengthen their position, they have not been reluctant to cooperate with other institutions, such as the KPK. The Presidential Work Unit for Development Supervision and Control (UKP4) has facilitated oversight of ministries through its Public Online Aspirations and Complaints Service. In other words, where there is a will, there is a way.

The police also need to listen carefully to criticisms linking gambling with the authorities. Criticism is a realization of concern. Taking offense at criticism could be seen as an expression of defensiveness, especially when the criticism comes from a commissioner in the National Police Commission, criminologist Adrianus Meliala. There is nothing questionable about the statement by Adrianus as a person given a legal right to monitor the police that gamblers are treated like an ATM by some police officers. This statement should be taken as alarm bells for the police something that is hard on the ears, but an important wake call.

Times change, and the police must also change. The people behind the driving simulator scandal and the gecko versus crocodile affair are already behind bars. But there are still police officers with fat bank accounts roaming freely. So, it's best that errant police members be purged before any new ones appear on the scene. (*)