theStar: Residents to use walkie-talkies for communication

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=%2F2012%2F2%2F21%2Fcentral%2F10768223&sec=central#.T0LdQye6gOI.gmail

RESIDENTS in Pusat Bandar Puchong and Bandar Puteri Puchong will be the first group in Selangor to use walkie-talkies to keep their neighbourhood safe.

Seri Serdang assemblyman Datuk Mohamad Satim Diman said the idea to use walkie-talkies came from the residents themselves and he presented a walkie-talkie unit each to 30 residents associations (RA) in a ceremony at the Taman Wawasan 4 park recently.

Also present at the event were Puchong parliamentary liaison officer Datuk Loo Yeng Peng and Serdang OCPD Supt Abdul Razak Elias.

“The communication channels will be connected to my service centre and there will someone monitoring it. We will also be giving a unit each to the Puchong Jaya and Bandar Puteri Puchong police stations,” he said.

The person in charge of the walkie-talkie from each residents’ association will be sent for training with the SKMM (Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission) and would have to provide their details for registration.

Razak said having residents use walkie-talkies to communicate with each other and disseminate information was in line with the 3C concept of creativity, communication and collaboration.

“This is going beyond the traditional means of fighting crime. They will be using technology to help each other and to collaborate with the police. When something happens and we are able to get information from the residents and act faster,” said Razak.

Satim also presented a mail box to each residents association so that those patrolling their neighbourhoods can put their log book into it.

“Residents can also fill in the log book and this would serve as a networking tool among neighbours,” Satim said.

Puteri 6 Ixora RA chairman William Koh, 43, said the walkie-talkies would be helpful for the associations, who had already been working together.

“We have regular inter-RA meetings and also have joint events during festivals to keep everyone updated. Currently, we use mobile phones when something happens and with the walkie-talkies, we can pass on the information simultaneously to all RAs faster,” he said.

Loo, who is also the special officer to the Home Minister, said it was encouraging to see residents working together for their own safety.

“The crime rate has gone down in Bandar Puteri. It used to be one of the 50 hot spots in 2010 but has recently been taken out of the list,” said Loo.