Jun 16, 2015
IPOH is still a relatively safe city to live in.
Those interviewed by MetroPerak said that despite this, there was still room for improvement as both the people and the police could do more to lower the crime rate.
Most also feel that the presence of policemen or patrolling vehicles have reduced and it should be increased again while the people should be more vigilant to protect themselves against criminals.
Former school principal Victor Chew said he has come across and read many articles about crime in the newspapers but still felt that Ipoh was a safe place.
“Police statistics do not always tell the truth. There are many cases that have not been reported.
“I too have personally witnessed crime occurring,” said the 69-year-old Chew.
“These are however, not enough to make me panic. I still feel safe in Ipoh,” he said.
Chew said there should be more police presence in housing areas.
“Their presence is lacking. I do not see patrol cars passing by very often these days.
“They are mostly seen parked by the roadside rather than out patrolling,” he said.
“However, I do feel that their response has improved but there’s still room for improvement,” he added.
Chew also hoped that people would stand up for others who are in need of help.
“We need to watch out for others when in public places or in our neighbourhood.
“Many people have the ‘tidak apa’ attitude when crime occurs. They are also afraid to help or become a witness,” he said.
“This is something we should all think about. This apathetic attitude would only spur criminals to continue committing crime,” he added.
It has been reported that the crime rate in the city has dropped.
According to Ipoh OCPD Assistant Commissioner Sum Chang Keong, there was a 17.9% drop in crime cases between January and May this year compared to the same period last year.
There were 968 cases in the first five months this year compared to 1,179 cases within the same period last year.
Marketing communications manager Joey Loh said she felt that Ipoh was safer when compared to bigger cities like Kuala Lumpur.
“I believe that it’s just a perception that Ipoh is not safe.
“Yes, several of my friends and family members have had experienced house break-ins, car window being smashed and witnessed some snatch theft incidents,” said the 31-year-old
“However, I think these incidents could be summed up as unfortunate events,” she said.
“There can never be zero crime in any town or country and we should protect ourselves and take some safety precautions,” she added.
Loh said there were measures people could take to prevent getting robbed.
“Try being more observant about your surroundings, spot whether you are being followed and never leave personal belongings exposed in the car,” she said.
“Unless you have a bodyguard protecting you 24-hours daily, reduce the risks by avoiding walking alone in dark areas or alleys,” she added.
Loh also called for more security presence at housing or commercial areas.
“Have policemen or other security personnel like Rela patrol these areas during odd hours or in the early morning near residential areas or parks.
“At commercial areas, there are several police booths in the city. I hope they can be utilised fully,” she said.
Lim Garden Residents’ Committee secretary K. Sagadevan also said the police should not ease up on their patrolling duties.
“There have been less uniformed police personnel moving about on the streets.
“Perhaps they are patrolling the streets in plain clothes. I can only assume so,” the 69-year-old said.
“It would be wise to have more uniformed policemen on the streets to better control crime incidences,” he added.
Sagadevan said he understood that the police were short-handed and were doing their best to keep everyone safe.
“The Federal Government should really look into this matter,” he said.
He also said that the people should play their part in keeping a lookout for crime in their respective housing areas.
“Some areas have 24-hour security to safeguard the place. This has worked well in fighting and controlling crime rate.
“Residents must also contribute and be responsible,” he said.
“We at Lim Garden are coming up with a “Neighbourhood Crime Watch” project to ensure the safety of the neighbourhood,” he said, adding that the project would involve its Rukun Tetangga and Residents’ Committee and the WIRA (Warrior) Association Malaysia.
Ipoh City Watch president Dr Richard Ng said he agreed that the crime rate has gone down gradually since the implementation of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) in 2009.
“However, in terms of perception of the public, the statistics may not reflect the real situation.
“This is because many are sceptical about the reports made by victims as they claimed that the reports have been modified to show improvements,” he said.
“Some crimes also went viral on social media, sometimes without checking the truth about a particular case,” he added.
Dr Ng said that many police cases that have been solved were not highlighted to the public.
“I learnt that the state police made the highest arrest of drug related cases in Malaysia.
“More than half of crime such as snatch theft and house break-ins were caused by drug addicts, and the high number of arrests in drug related cases has resulted in a reduction in the crime rate,” he said, adding that Perak has the third lowest crime rate in Malaysia.
“To overcome such negative perception, the police have to step up efforts to engage with the public, especially among the Chinese community,” he added.
Dr Ng said police presence was important to prevent crime.
“There are areas which have seen high crime rate in Ipoh such as Bercham and Buntong.
“These are densely populated areas but have insufficient number of police.
“Increasing police patrol in these areas will help prevent any untoward occurrences,” he said.
“The public too must play an important role through the Residents Associations or NGOs by being the eyes and ears of the police and report any suspicious characters,” he said, adding that the police should improve their engagement with the public to dispel any negative perception.
Dr Ng also said the people must lodge a report whenever some crime takes place or if they witness any such cases.
“They should not have a negative perception that the police are incompetent in solving a crime.
“It is with reports that the police can follow up with actions,” he said.
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