An offer from the nation's police departments to listen to public complaints has drawn more than 180,000 visitors in the past three months. People stood in long lines when local police chiefs came out on Open House Day.

Media coverage has focused on how police chiefs have patiently listened to the many complainants and efficiently worked on their cases. But the huge number of visitors shows that the normal channels for the public to voice their grievances are seriously clogged.

The massive campaign, which will end in September, may help the police force improve its public image in the short term. But to build a more enduring good reputation, the police force needs to address some serious issues instead of turning the campaign into a short-lived fanfare. It should demonstrate a strong resolve and act now to clean up the nation's police force, which is marred by some corrupt officers.

A few months ago in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, a dozen cops were arrested and about a third of the 150 officers working at the local railway station branch were found to have collaborated with gangs of thieves in the area. Instead of guarding the public and maintaining order, these cops chose to stand on the wrong side by collecting protection fees from pickpockets.

Meanwhile, in Fuzhou, capital of Southeast China's Fujian Province, the city's deputy police chief Wang Zhenzhong ganged up with his business partner in a murder case. Wang is now China's highest-level police chief on the run abroad. It was reported that 30 million yuan (US$3.7 million) in cash was found at Wang's home after he fled to the United States with US$10 million and his mistress, also a police officer.

These are just two of a series of shocking cases involving police corruption and serious dereliction of duty covered by the nation's news media lately.

Unchecked power may breed corruption. Excessive power and a lack of efficient supervision are a cause of many problems affecting the police force. In some areas, police chiefs lead the local political and law committees, making them more powerful than heads of the local court and prosecutor's office. Some local governments have also misused the police force by asking them to wield power in areas beyond their responsibility, such as urban relocation.

Disciplines should be strengthened to restrict the power of the police. A watchdog body should also be set up to include ordinary residents. The news media should be encouraged to play an active role. Letting the police alone watch over themselves is definitely not the best solution.

The police force needs to address problems of low efficiency and poor service, a source of frequent public complaints in many areas during the current campaign. It should raise the recruitment standards for police officers and step up training programmes.

The government should increase funding for the police force so they do not have to rely on illegal means for additional income.

There is no doubt that the nation's police force has done a great deal in ensuring law and order in the country. But to meet public expectations and reduce public grievances, it has to continue the tough battle to improve the team.

In the end, cops should be loved by law-abiding people and feared by the bad guys.

(China Daily August 22, 2005)