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1. Where are our cops when we need them? <\/strong><\/p>\n As of January 2011, for every uniformed police handling crime, there are six in non-crime sectors. This means six times as many policemen are tasked with non-crime related jobs, than those who are fighting crime. No wonder we don\u2019t feel safe!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Distribution of uniformed police personnel in 2011. Source: Home Ministry<\/em><\/p>\n It is a sobering fact that the criminal investigation department comprises barely 9% of the police force. In stark contrast, 41% of uniformed police perform management functions, while 31% are tasked with internal security and public order.<\/p>\n 2. Why do we have more policemen spying than fighting crime?<\/strong><\/p>\n PKR has revealed Budget figures showing that in 2010, the police produced 733,237 spy reports and security checks, but only 211,645 criminal investigation papers. So Special Branch produced more than three times as many reports as the Criminal Investigation Department did.<\/p>\n MP for Bukit Bendera, Liew Chin Tong says that the BN government is obsessed with regime security. The government\u2019s priorities are reflected in the police force\u2019s priorities: surveillance of political foes and \u201cchasing shadows\u201d.<\/p>\n More and more Malaysians are taking the law into their own hands. There are 1,151 gated and guarded communities in Peninsular Malaysia as of March this year. Private security comes with a price, with neighborhoods charging RM50 \u2013 RM100 per household per month for security services.<\/p>\n This works out to between RM11.5 million and RM57.5 million out-of-pocket expenses that many middle-class residents fork out to keep themselves safer. Many who cannot afford to pay for security rely on the police to prioritise crime-busting with their annual allocation of RM6.3 billion in 2012.<\/p>\n 4. Should we put more policemen on the street?<\/strong><\/p>\n Consider the core function of the police, as outlined in the Tun Dzaiddin-led Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police (RCI):<\/p>\n (a)\u00a0\u00a0 Maintenance of law and order; This is besides the management, human resource and logistics (known as non-core, or support functions) that take up 20% of the police force.<\/p>\n So far, 7,402 officers have been identified for redeployment, according to the Home Minister in a Parliamentary reply in 2011. This falls far short of the target recommended by the Dzaiddin Report.<\/p>\n Calls for RELA officers or the armed forces to patrol our shopping malls have been met with apprehension by the public. We need to be able to rely on the boys in blue to fight crime, not resort to panic measures or martial law. Not to mention, deploying troops on the street during peacetime raises questions of legitimacy.<\/p>\n 5. Have the recommendations in the Dzaiddin Royal Commission been carried out?<\/strong><\/p>\n The Minister also stated that 38 of the 125 recommendations in the Dzaiddin Report have been carried out. The 363-page document contains detailed recommendations and findings which the RCI reached after inquiries, surveys and feedback from the public.<\/p>\n It outlined nine challenges confronting the police force, including: corruption among police, unsatisfactory housing and work premises, abuse of human rights in implementing laws, and the rapid changes in the political and social environment governing policing.<\/p>\n The Dzaiddin report detailed recommendations for preventing custodial deaths, including a code of practice relating to arrest of detainees, 24-hour video surveillance for police stations, and video recording for interviews.<\/p>\n It also suggested expediting disciplinary proceedings involving police personnel, encouraging whistle-blower protection, and establishing a bureau for complaints against police.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>3. If the police are busy spying for the government, who will keep us safe?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n(b)\u00a0\u00a0 Preservation of peace and security of Malaysia;
\n(c)\u00a0\u00a0 Prevention and detection of crime;
\n(d)\u00a0\u00a0 Apprehension and investigation of offenders; and
\n(e)\u00a0\u00a0 Collection of security intelligence.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/strong>The Dzaiddin Report estimated that about 20,000 uniformed personnel (22%) could be freed to go back to active core policing work. More policemen on the streets means less worries about street crime, snatch theft and break ins. And perhaps, less people will feel the need to live in guarded enclaves.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n