Drop in crime at hotspots
STATIONING police officers at the crime hotspots in Subang Jaya has reduced the crime rate and other areas will be considered if there are requests, said Special Task Force (Operations and Counter Terrorism) director Commissioner Datuk Mohamad Fuzi Harun.
Mohamad Fuzi said the police had been working hard to lower the crime rate but needed the cooperation of the public.
He said the country had seen a 16% reduction in crime index while street crimes dropped by 52%.
He added that the same declining trend had been observed in Selangor with a 13.6% reduction in the crime index and a 44.8% decrease in street crime since the beginning of the year.
“In Subang Jaya, the crime rate has dropped by an average of 23% with street crime going down 27.2%,” said Fuzi after a walkabout in the SS15 commercial area in Subang Jaya.
Selangor police chief Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah and Subang Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Yahaya Ramli took part in the walkabout, which was part of the police department’s High Profile Policing programme.
“One of the effective measures that have been implemented in Subang Jaya is to station police officers in booths at crime hotspots. If we get feedback and complaints from residents, we will also consider stationing officers at other strategic places,” said Fuzi.
He said the police also needed the help of the public to provide information not only on crime but also anything related to security measures.
“People can give their ideas to the OCPD or send it to our website. If the proposal is good, we will respond to it,” he said.
Tun Hisan said the business community had a lot of resources that could not only help the police but also others.
“Many of the shops now have CCTV cameras and if they are placed systematically with the cooperation of the owners a wider area will be monitored,” he said.
He added that such measures would act as a deterrent and aid in police investigation.
Fuzi said the gated and guarded communities had also played a part in reducing crime in Subang Jaya.
“We are short of manpower and cannot patrol the same area the whole day so having guards in housing areas will deter crime.
He said there were problems that arose in gated and guarded communities and the people had to work out their differences without being selfish.
“They can implement a system according to their needs but also abide by the bylaws and guidelines,” he said.
Fuzi and his team of officers started their walkabout near the Taylor’s College and proceeded to the commercial area.
He also put up stickers printed with the MyDistress website address on the windows of the shops he visited.
Canai 15 Cafe owner Datuk Johari Abdullah welcomed the initiative by the police to work together with the community to fight crime.
“It’s good for our safety. Snatch thefts and other petty crime happen quite frequently in this commercial area but the situation has improved over the years,” said Johari, who have been running the eatery for the past five years.