Community policing units can be police’s eyes, ears — SRDC chief
Community policing can help so much in crime prevention by becoming the eyes and ears of the police, says Sibu Rural District Council ( SRDC) chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai.
He stated this when launching the community policing unit membership drive at Rumah Everly Bajut Pok in Pasai near here on Sunday, which also held a health talk and ‘gotong-royong’ (work party).
“Community pol icing can play a vital role in educating people and protecting after their neighbourhoods and longhouses from crimes and social problems first- hand,” he said.
The programme is run by SRDC with Councillor Ho Kok Munting as the organising chairman who together with Councillor Jeffery Nuing, is in charge of Zone 1 of the council’s zoned areas.
Sempurai also emphasised the importance for the public to play an act ive role in preventing crimes, including vandalism.
“As members of society take an active role to look after the neighbourhood and its surroundings, it wi l l make the col lective role of crime prevention more effective and efficient.
“This is what we want in our community engagement programme — the col lective role by all stakeholders working together,” he said.
Adding on, he said community policing was part of SRDC’s community development and engagement programmes.
“This programme is in collaboration with Si bu Community Policing Association to assist the council curb the issues of vandalism, indiscriminate dumping of rubbish and industrial waste, as well as reporting on road damage and drainage blocks,” he explained.
On dengue, Sempurai urged the longhouse residents not to rest on their laurels despite the absence of reported cases from Pasai so far this year.
He said they needed to take up preventive measures like cleaning up and clearing their surroundings to prevent A ed es mosquito es from breeding.
Meanwhile, Sibu Community Policing Association chairman Eric Chew briefed those present on the roles and functions of the association.
He stressed that the key role of community policing units would be to look after its own neighbourhood or longhouse community rather than relying on the enforcement agencies.
“Of course, community policing(units) always consistently work together with the police in activities like patrolling,” Eric said, adding that community policing here also worked together with SRDC in its activities.
“We also can assist the council curb vandalism and in discriminate dumping (of waste ), by becoming their eyes and ears.” Meanwhile, long house chief Everly Bajut highlighted the need for his community to work together with SRDC in fighting the dengue menace.
He hoped that the council could provide them with rubbish bins and bin centres.
There was also a talk on dengue and cleanliness by Angeline Uci from SRDC.
At the function, Sempurai symbolic ally handed over Abate and plastic bags to longhouse chiefs Everly and Dawi Ringgi l , witnessed by SRDC engineer Goh Thiam Ho, councillors, Rumah Everly Bajut village security and development committee ( JKKK) members and Sibu Community Policing Association members.