Cop: Help of residents associations vital

Tuesday August 10, 2010
Cop: Help of residents associations vital
Story and photo by PRIYA MENON
priya@thestar.com.my


Residents associations (RA) are important in helping the police bring down the crime rate, Cheras police station chief Inspector Zainan Ahmad said.

Inspector Zainan said with the help of the Taman Midah RA, the police had brought down the crime rate in the neighbourhood by 70%.

He said this at a meeting between the Taman Tayton View RA and Desa Aman Cheras residents recently.


All ears: The residents listening to Inspector Zainan giving his speech during the meeting.

Desa Aman Cheras residents, who are planning to form a residents association, were called together by the MCA Cheras division and a pro tem committee for the meeting.

Under the National Key Results Area, there are four zones under Cheras and three are directly under the supervision of Zainan.

Zainan told residents that the role of each individual was important in ensuring the safety of their own families.

“There are 169 officers including me in Cheras and that would mean the ratio would be one officer to 100,000 residents so we definitely need your cooperation,” he added.

He also said he could not deny that there were black sheep in the police force and urged the people to complain about officers who resorted to bribery directly to him.

Tayton View RA chairman Wang Kong Fatt said the setting up the association was a difficult task but a fruitful one.

“The residents were not responsive in the beginning but the benefits are good. We have all the numbers to contact at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and work together with them at all times,” he added.

MCA Cheras division deputy chairman Ng Chin also assured residents that MCA would help them in any way possible.

At the end of the session, the Desa Aman Cheras pro tem committee suggested ways on how they could improve security in the area.

Pro tem chairman Hassan Ghani said most of the thefts occurred during the day when residents were at work.

He suggested hiring security guards to bring down the crime rate.

Residents were also seen eager to sign up as representatives of various lanes in the housing estate which has about about 360 houses.

Cop: Help of residents associations vital