Residents urged to work with police in reducing crime
KOTA SAMARAHAN: The local community has been urged to cooperate and work with the police in reducing the crime index in the district.
Kota Samarahan police chief DSP Lee Chong Chern noted that crimes in the district have reduced to eight cases over the past three months compared to the same period last year.
“We are not going to be complacent with the figure and we are working hard to get the community to be with us to prevent crimes from happening.
“To prevent or reduce crime is not just about the police, but it also involves the community,” said Lee when met after the 212th Police Day celebration at Kota Samarahan district police headquarters here yesterday.
Yesterday’s event saw four individuals from among members of the public who were given recognition and appreciation for helping the police nab criminals recently.
Lee presented them with certificates of appreciation and hampers.
The four are Nazery Merican, Andy Azwandy Norseman, Sandra and her father Alexander Blassan.
Nazery had helped nabbed a man stealing at a supermarket in Bandar Riyal and handed him to the police, while Sandra and her father caught two men stealing electricity cables at a Christian cemetery at Kampung Payung here.
Azwandy was commended for apprehending a cable thief at the construction site of a commercial cumoffice tower at the Kota Samarahan Expressway.
Lee said all the criminals were charged in court and given appropriate sentences.
“The public has the power to nab crime suspects. Do not take the law into your own hands, but surrender the suspect to the police,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lee said schools play an important role on crime prevention, because education on crime prevention starts from the school including on drug abuse.
Recently, he said, the police had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) with the Sarawak Education Department that will allow the police to interview students who are believed to be abusing drugs or whose urine tests are tested positive for drugs.
Lee noted that drug abuse was on the rise in schools in the state.
“I was made to understand that the State Education Department’s legal officer has given the police the green light to conduct interviews on students who are suspected drug abusers. If we have the information, we will definitely take action; we will make arrest and charge them,” he said.
For Kota Samarahan district police, the areas under their supervision are Samarahan district including Asajaya and Sadong Jaya.