More than 500 of the total of 791 police stations throughout the country are currently facing a shortage of personnel and staffing issues, says Bukit Aman Management Department director Asri Yusoff.

He said most of the police stations were currently headed by a sergeant who was responsible for the role of station’s officer in charge (OCS).

A police station required to have at least 35 personnel for it to operate smoothly, and should be led by an officer, at the very least, with the rank of Deputy Superintendent (DSP), he said.

“However, what is happening now is 65 percent of the total 791 police stations (over 500 stations) across the country face staff shortages,” said Asri adding that police stations in Sabah and Sarawak had only five personnel or less.

“Most of the police stations are also headed by officers with the rank of sub-inspectors to sergeants,” he told reporters after the opening of the Tanjung Kupang police station in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, today.

Also present were Johor police chief Mohd Khalil Kader Mohd and Iskandar Puteri district police chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar.

Asri said this when commenting on the factors contributing to the rising number of policemen opting for early retirement.

The lengthy shift of more than eight hours had also played a role in the trend, he said.

He said Bukit Aman was currently studying the modern policing initiative implemented at the Taman Tun Dr Ismail and the Brickfields police stations in Kuala Lumpur as a way to address the issue of shortage of police personnel.

The modern policing initiative required at least 35 personnel to be placed at a police station and led by a DSP.

- Bernama