Deeply perturbed by recent high-profile crimes, including a murder, the state government has initiated several instant remedies in collaboration with the police to ensure Penangites feel safe.

Among the main strategies would be to activate Penangites themselves in community policing to prevent crimes, and provide information and feedback to the police to resolve them.

A forum will be held in Komtar, Georgetown this Sunday to brief some 200 representatives from non-government organisations, opposition Barisan Nasional, residents associations on community policing.

penang crime police lim guan eng event pc 260908 ayub yaakob The state police, headed by its chief Deputy Commissioner Ayub Yaakob, are expected to brief them on the importance of the public’s role in crime prevention and, on ways and means they could deploy to carry out their social task to prevent criminal activities.

Speaking to reporters after chairing a state security council meeting in Komtar today, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng stressed on the public’s pivotal responsibility to help the police to prevent and resolve crimes.

Acknowledging that the police have been criticised lately for lack of policing and efficiency in tackling rising crime rates, he said the public could assist the police to overcome their shortcomings by alerting them on suspicious characters, providing feedback to improve patrols in all areas and information on criminal activities.

“Community policing would help the police greatly to prevent and resolve crime,” he said, adding that the forum would spell out how the community could execute its role.

Additional cops

Other measure is to add on to the 4,000-odd police personnel in Penang with another 50 federal reserve unit (FRU) personnel, 120 general operations force (GOF) personnel and marine police personnel.

This is to tighten security and increase policing during the coming Hari Raya and Deepavali festive season.

An additional four platoons of 40 GOF personnel would be stationed to beef up security at the Bayan Lepas International Airport, which was rocked on Monday by a RM800,000 gold heist.

The heist was followed by the robbery-cum-murder of former a Bukit Tambun assemblyperson’s wife, Thor Joo Lee, 46, in Bukit Tambun, Penang mainland. She was stabbed to death by a robber, who fled with RM10,000 cash, on late Monday.

Police have arrested five people, aged between 27 and 35, since Tuesday and recovered two machetes, a knife and a hammer from them to assist investigation.

Police are looking for two more men, in their 30s, to assist their probe.

Barely 24 hours later, wife of Gerakan newly elected state chairperson Teng Hock Nan, Chang Lee Lee, 48, was robbed of RM2,000 cash and other valuables outside her house in George Town.

Police also nabbed two persons, age in their 40s and 60s, in connection with the theft of 3,000 rolls of newsprint worth RM3 million from two warehouses operated by Kwong Wah Yit Poh press.

Rolls of newsprint, allegedly stolen in stages by an insider over the past nine months, were also recovered from a Bukit Tengah warehouse belonging to a suspect.

CCTVs for prevention

The state government hopes the federal government would expedite the installation of 48 close circuit surveillance television cameras (CCTVs), an allotment approved six months ago, in Penang as a crime prevention measure.

The island, which already has 31 CCTVs, will get another 24 sets, while the mainland takes the other half.

The state government has also requested another 300 to 400 CCTVs from the federal government, but it would explore other ways and means if its application is turned down.

penang anti isa forum 150908 lim guan eng Lim was relieved, however that Penang’s crime rate was among the lowest in the country while the percentage of crime-solving was the highest compared with other states.

Penang recorded 13,114 crimes, including 2,359 violent crimes and 10, 755 property thefts so far this year compared to12,991, including 2,507 violent crimes and 10, 484 property thefts, in 2007, marking a mere 0.9 per cent increase.

CPO Ayub urged the public to communicate via SMS with Rakancop hotline 32728 to provide information and tip off on crimes.

So far only 5,000 Penangites are using the Rakancop hotline, something the state police want to see a marked increase in.

Other police hotlines to contact are 04-269 1999 and 012-490 0999.