Ministry to study police SOP for handling disabled suspects

KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry (KDN) will look into establishing a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the police on the arrest and handling of suspects with disabilities.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman said the move was also part of the ministry’s efforts to improve existing guidelines in the Inspector General of Police’s (IGP) Standing Order.

“The police have welcomed this proposal and will make the necessary improvements to the SOP in the near future,” he said in reply to an oral question from Ramkarpal Singh (PH-Bukit Gelugor) at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

He said among the matters reviewed and included in the order pertaining to the handling of disabled suspects were pertaining to the provision of special rooms for documentation process, police bail, medical reports, and release.

In addition to the improvements in the SOP, he said training would also be provided to police personnel on how to handle such cases.

Mohd Aziz said the KDN would also be working with the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development and several NGOs to refine the existing SOP to ensure that enforcement procedures took into account the needs of the disabled.

“The ministry is committed to ensuring the well-being of all parties and we acknowledge that there were challenges in the handling of certain cases, including that of an individual with autism in USJ Subang Jaya recently.

Meanwhile, addressing another question, Mohd Azis said that new applications and renewals for gun licenses were taking some time as KDN and police had imposed tight screening procedures to determine the physical and mental capabilities, as well as financial position and status of the applicants. - Bernama