THE overall number of violent and a property crime has been falling dramatically since 2009, but many people are not convinced by the data. Overcoming this state of mind is probably the biggest challenge for the police. They concede, though, that there may be pockets of crime spots feeding the people's negative perception.
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said, under whose purview the police force falls, recently said the CPI would help in crime prevention efforts and boost efficiency.
He said the indicator would be based on four factors - signals, "my space", amplifiers and police services. Signals refer to people's impression of their safety outside their homes; 'my space' is a person's belief in whether the public or police would help, should something happen to him and amplifiers refer to how often crime is talked about on social media.
He said the public does not 'buy' the fact that the crime rate has dropped, it's difficult to get people to believe it. The public still does not have confidence in the force.
Meanwhile the Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said this was despite the fact that police and, indeed, the government, were doing everything possible to bring down the crime rate, adding that they were successful.
"The crime rate has come down because of the visibly increased presence of police (acting as a deterrent). The government was doing all it could by providing more motorcycles and cars for police patrols, as well as increasing manpower in the force. However what is important is for police to conduct an intensive campaign to engage the public. It should not be a one-off thing. If any officer is found to have committed malpractice, action must be taken immediately. This will restore public confidence in the force”, he said.
Tan Sri Lee said, even though the force was doing a good job in solving cases, officers had room to boost their efficiency. If they are even more efficient, they will get maximum exposure, which, in itself, will improve public perception of police.
- New Straits Times
