‘SAFE CITY’: The number of snatch thefts is on the rise and this is causing concern among the public and the Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation. But, is it a problem solely for the police to resolve? Faisal Asyraf and Zahratulhayat Mat Arif report
SNATCH thieves have been a bane to society for many years. But, a recent increase in the number of crimes committed by these culprits, notably in the federal capital, has been cause for much concern.
This is despite millions of ringgit having been spent on the Safe City Programme, introduced in 2004, to reduce street crimes, including snatch thefts.
In the first two months of this year, there were 194 cases in Kuala Lumpur, a more than threefold jump from the corresponding period last year, when there were 63 cases.
In Selangor, there was a dip from 249 cases in those two months last year to 227 this year.
However, the state still records the highest number of snatch thefts in the country.
Overall, the first two months of this year saw an increase to 567 cases from 418 cases in the corresponding period last year.
In 2014, Kuala Lumpur recorded 593 cases, while Selangor had the highest number of cases at 845.
Last year, the numbers increased to 604 and 950, respectively, which were in contrast to the nationwide trend, as statistics showed an overall dip in snatch thefts from 2014 to last year.
Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said there were numerous factors that contributed to the increase in snatch thefts, including a lack of citizen awareness and a need for local authorities to take on a more proactive role.
“To curb this crime requires collective effort. We cannot solely assign blame to or hand over the burden to police.
“They don’t have the prerogative to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras or build railings and barricades. This is not part of their job.”
He urged local authorities to be more proactive and help police in reducing street crimes.
“There is a lot of room for improvement. There is a need to install more barricades and railings to separate pedestrian walkways from motorists. The same thing goes for CCTV cameras.
“We need more high-quality CCTV cameras and better lighting in crime-prone areas, like back lanes.”
Under the Safe City Programme, local councils are responsible for executing 15 crime-prevention initiatives, including the separation of pedestrian walkways with railings, and improved lighting, mirrors, safety alarms, geographic information system-based crime mapping and CCTV cameras, with the last being implemented separately under the supervision of the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry.
“Local authorities and developers must sit together to bolster crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED), which is one of the steps in the Safe City Programme,” said Lee, adding that the progress of CPTED’s implementation in Malaysia was “very slow compared with other countries”.
Federal police Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department director Datuk Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said police were concerned about the increase in snatch thefts and were reviewing their operations.
He said the force was in the midst of planning an integrated operation on a national level to combat the crime, and police had intensified their presence by increasing the frequency of patrols by car and motorcycle units, as well as on foot.
Patrolmen are joined by Police Volunteer Reserve members in certain neighbourhoods.
Acryl Sani echoed Lee’s sentiments that police could not combat street crimes, including snatch thefts, alone.
He said the force needed the support of local authorities to create a safer environment, adding that the installation of barricades, railings and CCTV cameras, and better lighting would make it more difficult for crimes to be committed.
“Certain facilities, like bus stops, may look safe during the day.
“But at night, they can be isolated and lonely, which gives criminals a window of opportunity.
“These are among the things that local authorities need to consider.”
However, he said, efforts to combat street crimes should not end with police and local authorities.
Rather, they require a holistic approach, which means the public must be involved.
Acryl Sani said the public must always be careful and not have valuable items on display.
He said people should be aware of their surroundings and be alert to the goings-on around them.