Crime Perception Index to measure fear level

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite a sharp decline in crime rates over the past four years, the public’s fear for and perception of crime have remained unchanged.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said yesterday that to correct such perception and to raise the public’s awareness on the actual crime situation in the country, the government will soon launch the Crime Perception Indicator (CPI) to measure the level of fear of crime.

He said the CPI, among many features, will study the factors behind the public’s fear of and concern about crime and will look into whether the dissemination of news on crime in the media and by the police is itself a contributing factor.

“Over the last four years, crime had gone down by 40% and, for the first time, car theft cases showed a decline of 20% last year. However, the people remain fearful of their safety. (Negative) Public perception and fear of crime remain a challenge for us. Hence, at the Delivery Task Force meeting held a year ago, we approved the Crime Communications Plan to meet this challenge head on. It is a plan to employ a comprehensive engagement strategy to reach out to the public, listen to their concerns and work together to formulate effective solutions,” he said during the Roundtable on Crime Prevention, “Towards a Safer Malaysia”, at the Sime Darby Convention Centre here.

He said improvement is being made on police services such as the Online Reporting of Non-Serious Crimes.

He said the online reporting will see the public no longer spending time at police stations but lodging reports from the comfort of their homes with ease.