PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin has shunned the call to form an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) as there is already an existing monitoring entity, namely the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC).

Mohd Bakri said that there were already laws passed by Parliament to ensure the polic adhere to regulations and standard operating procedures (SOP).

“The laws are already there. The EAIC is already there. There is no point in discussing the IPCMC,” he said during a press conference while attending the Putra Intelek International College Convocation ceremony at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre here Saturday.

"I feel that the laws are already there and they are stronger than the IPCMC. So we should just implement or enforce them."

Mohd Bakri admitted however, that there were weaknesses in lock-up SOPs that the police force was trying improve.

“We are planning our strategy to improve the enforcement of the laws and improve the SOP and we understand that there are weaknesses,” he said adding that the police force could make lock-ups safer.

“We have to try to make lock-ups safer but we cannot do anything when detainees take their own life or hurt themselves,” added Mohd Bakri.

“There are many ways that other agencies can also help us to ease the burden. In big lock-ups, we might have up to 150 detainees. Some of the detainees might have emotional problems in that environment. Other agencies such as the Health Department can help us to look into ways to help in the environment of the lock-up,” added Mohd Bakri.

Mohd Bakri also urged the people not to make custodial deaths a racial issue, saying that the recent deaths in lock-ups were not raced-based.

“Those cases happen for a reason. It does not only happen to certain races,” he said.

“We have the statistics on custodial deaths and it is not like that so don't have that misunderstanding,” he added.

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