Nst: Horseback patrol to curb crime

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/2horses/Article/

Supt Abdul Razak Elyas

Residents feel safer with mounted police on patrol around Bandar Puteri Puchong. (Inset) Supt Abdul Razak Elyas says the umbrella concept has helped reduce crime.

PUCHONG: In a bid to reduce crime in Bandar Puteri Puchong, mounted police have been deployed in the area.
This move is to strengthen the police presence here, and follows the recently launched "umbrella" concept, whereby police personnel are placed under parasols in main areas of the township.

Residents and visitors here would have come across the policemen on horses doing their rounds in the neighbourhood over the past week.


Their presence, until the end of the month, said IPD Serdang OCPD, Supt Abdul Razak Elyas, would serve as a deterrent in the area marked as a hot spot for crime.


"The mounted police will be here for some time as I believe a longer time spent here can help bring the crime rate down," he said when met at a morning taichi session, organised by the residents association of Bandar Puteri 12.

Although, only four horses go on their rounds here between 11am to 3pm, Razak said up to nine horses could be deployed at any time as and when there was a need.


"It will all depend on the crime pattern of the day.

"If we see a rise in crime reports, all nine horses will go on their rounds," said Razak adding that the police have also deployed helicopters in the area.

"Our helicopter unit is our Eye in the Sky and its presence, too, helps to monitor the situation here," he added.


He also said that the use of mounted police was also part of the community policing strategy, which complements the conventional policing where policemen carry out their patrols on cars or motorcycles.

"This community policing also helps build rapport with the people. You see residents walking up to these policemen and their horses. It's also a good opportunity to get the younger generation, especially the children, to approach the police," he said, pointing to a group of excited children who had gathered around the horses. He also encouraged residents in the area to approach the mounted policemen should they have any information on criminal activities here.

Elaborating on the umbrella concept, Razak said, the police personnel who include those patrolling in cars and motorcycles, as well as plainclothes policemen, detectives and narcotics officers, use the parasol as their converging point.

Five of such "umbrella" police bases have been set-up in Bandar Puteri Puchong.

"Three policemen -- one who is stationed under the parasol and two on foot patrol -- work in shifts between 8am to 8pm everyday. I'm happy to say that since its launch, no snatch thefts have been reported," said Razak.

He also said the police was aware of the theory of displacement in which criminal activities move elsewhere when prevention measures are put into place.

"Whether geographical or temporal (change in time for criminal activities) we can also change our surveillance locations and time," he said, adding that the police would not hesitate to go where criminal activities are rampant.

The cases reported in the area include snatch thefts, vehicle break-ins and car thefts.

The Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) has also erected guard rails measuring up to 1.5m along the busy main roads in Bandar Puteri commercial areas, similar to the guard rails used in SS15, Subang Jaya, to deter snatch thefts. According to Bandar Puteri 12 Residents Association (RA12) chairman, Betty Yap, the tai-chi session with Razak and his men was held to foster closer ties between the residents and the police.

"The session has allowed for interaction between the residents and the police as issues were discussed and views exchanged," she said.

She also urged the police to look into the menace caused by youngsters along the road leading up to Bandar Puteri 12, which is often used as a spot to hang out to view part of Puchong's and Subang Jaya's skyline at night from the neighbourhood on the hill.

A resident, Khairunnisa Abdul Latep, 33, who almost became a victim of car hijacking in the area recently said she preferred approaching the mounted police or the personnel under the parasols as she had always felt intimidated going to police stations.

She urged everyone to report crime even if it was a near miss, and not only report a crime after it's over as it could save others.

A resident, Sagar Velayuthan, 49, said the presence of the mounted police in the area was much welcomed.

"These mounted policemen come across as more approachable.

"As we take our kids to see the horses, we can also inform the policemen of any suspicious persons or activities that we think should be looked into," he said.

He hoped that the police would carry out more activities such as dialogue sessions with the residents for the benefit of both parties.