'Mr Police' lands Indonesia police job

  • Published
Mr Polisi and his new colleagues outside the Pasuruan police houseImage source, AFP
Image caption,
Polisi faces the cameras on his first day working for the Polisi

An Indonesian construction worker has landed a job in a police station, all because of his name.

The man, called Polisi - which is Indonesian for "Police" - was fined by traffic cops for riding a motorcycle without a licence in Pasuruan, East Java, Tribunnews website reported.

But after a photo of his identity card went viral on social media, local officers "adopted" him as their celebrity mascot, eventually buying him a driving licence and offering him an office job in their station house, Merdeka.com said.

Polisi, who like many Indonesians goes by a single name, said that he didn't expect it to bring him good luck.

He joins the likes of God, Satan, and Go To School as Indonesians with noteworthy names.

The breadwinner for his family after his father died, Mr Polisi was unable to afford a driving licence, Detik news website says. Now he hopes to save money to pay for his younger brother's schooling.

Starting his office job at Pasuruan police station this week, a nervous Mr Polisi said "It's a new experience for me, I will try to adapt to working in an office. I promise to do my best."

Photos issued by the the police show Mr Polisi on his first day at work, and passing his motorcycle test. Now fully road legal, he'll be helping officers conduct driving tests.

"Today Polisi has officially become part of the police family," Erika Putra, the police unit's chief said.

Image source, Instagram/satlantaspasuruan
Image caption,
In a viral Instagram post, Mr Polisi was originally cited for riding a motorcycle without a licence

Reporting by Joanna Lanceron and Alistair Coleman

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