KUALA LUMPUR: The police are taking on increasingly complex crimes and hard-to-track criminals, Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun said.

He said some of the latest measures include the implementation of high-technology investigative methods such as the biometric portrait character (BPC) system or facial recognition technology.

However, the force will need adequate budget allocations, he told reporters after the 212th Police Day celebration here this afternoon.

“The prime minister has given us the guarantee that attention will be given to issues involving our budget and also our welfare,” he said, adding that RM100 million was given last year to improve facilities, including maintenance of police quarters.

He said the purpose of the SOP is to avoid backlash and misunderstanding following a case involving an autistic teenager who was remanded last year.

“Without us having complete information, we had arrested and remanded him and it caused a lot of anger from social media users and citizens at that time.

“This is one of our efforts to ensure that whenever there are cases involving autistic individuals in the future, the SOP will be observed by the investigating officers.”

Earlier, speaking at the Police Day celebration, Fuzi said there was an 11.9% drop in criminal cases last year compared to the number recorded in 2017.

He said the narcotics division carried out 35 raids on illegal drug-processing labs, up from 19 previously, and more than 1,100 drug dealers were arrested under the Dangerous Drugs Act (1952).

The Commercial Crimes division also recorded an increase in Macau scam cases from 1,414 in 2017 to 2,228 last year.

“In September, our international collaboration with China and Hong Kong authorities resulted in the arrests of 99 members of the Macau scam syndicate – 93 Chinese nationals and six Malaysians – in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur,” he said.

Fuzi also noted a decrease in cases of human trafficking and smuggling of immigrants from January to March 15 this year.

He said 56 cases were recorded for various offences under the Anti-Human Trafficking and Immigrant Smuggling Act (Atipsom) compared to 91 cases in the same period last year, with a total of 72 arrests.

In facing militant and terrorism threats, Fuzi said 464 Daesh (Islamic State) suspects, consisting both of foreigners and Malaysians, were arrested from 2013 to March 20 this year.

Home Affairs Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who was also present at the Police Day celebration, said a final decision has not been made on the setting up of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

“Even though the government has agreed to the setting up of the IPCMC in principle, I am of the opinion that there still needs to be engagement with relevant stakeholders such as PDRM (police) and other agencies,” he told reporters.

He said that from the feedback he has received so far, many still do not understand the purpose or mechanism of the implementation of the commission.

“There is a worry that the focus of the IPCMC will be one-sided,” he added.

Sumber : Freemalaysiatoday
Tarikh : 25/03/2019