Wednesday, May 09, 2012

The police is still needed despite high end security measures


I am also in shock when I read the letter to the editor today regarding the fact that gated high-end condominiums with 24-hour security and CCTV where one needs access cards to get in are also not exempt from robberies. He himself who loves in Taman Maluri, Cheras had been a robbery victim twice in the space of a year.

What recourse do ordinary folks who live in nondescript housing areas have in terms of safety to their person and property? The police of course and their presence is still not felt that much in certain areas. They may have their public relations exercise with residents but as the letter writer said, people feeling safe would be the stimulus in the relations between the men in blue and the ordinary folks. The main crux of the matter is many still feel unsafe even with the good results shown by the national crime index which has fallen 11.1 percent in 2011.

The Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar earlier this year said 157,891 cases were reported last year, down from 177,520 in 2010. I do wonder whether the drop is really because of a reduction in the number of crimes or the victims did not report them. Are there any statistics that can show the number of unreported cases? That would make interesting reading, indeed.

In the meantime, we are still left with the issue of safety in our daily lives. Yes, we do see more policemen making their rounds but only in certain areas. There are still inadequate numbers to go around the whole neighbourhood as they have other pressing matters to attend to as well besides keeping the peace. Cyber crime is on the increase and that seems to be very lucrative to those with the skills and mindset. The theft and robbery that occur in our neighbourhood pales in comparison even though lives and property are at a stake too.

We look to the police for the answers as the majority of us are not living in a well secured area, replete with CCTV and other modern crime prevention devices. The increasing number of gated communities has not solved the problem as we still need the police to at least make their rounds. Their presence is always welcome to residents and potential robbers might think twice before committing any crimes.

Image from realtymalaysia

No comments: