Fear of crime still high: IGP

KUALA LUMPUR: Fear of crime is still high among the people despite the 11.7% decrease in the overall crime index compared to the previous year, said Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun.
"People's fear of crime is heightened by social media which sometimes carries untrue and unverified incidences of crime," Mohamad Fuzi to the reporters after attending the 211th Police Day Memorial Parade at the Kuala Lumpur Police Training Centre (Pulapol) here today.
He said violent crimes recorded a decrease of 960 cases (4.3%) and property crimes a decrease of 12,226 cases (13.6 %).
He stressed despite a lower crime index, the "fear of crime" was still common among the public.
"Sometimes, one unverified case can make us (police) end up being punished in the court of public opinion when the public's perception does not match ours.
"Therefore we will be engaging with the people to give them confidence that we are doing our very best in addressing crime and issues faced by them nationwide," he said.
He said the police would work with non-profit organisations like the Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) and other private non-governmental organisations (NGO's) to forge closer ties with the community and to work together to curb crime.
On the Islamic State threat, Mohamad Fuzi said police have arrested 389 people suspected of being involved in IS-related activities since 2013, including several locals arrested recently for allegedly plotting attacks on non-Muslim houses of worship and kidnapping and killing police personnel.
The latest in the roundup were six locals and a Filipino in operations initiated in Sabah and Johor between Feb 27 and March 15.
The Filipino man was wanted by Philippine authorities for having been involved in cases of kidnapping for ransom and several murder attempts.
"I cannot divulge which rank of police personnel were targeted," he told reporters at the 211th Police Day Memorial Parade 2018 at Police Training Centre (Pulapol) today.
He also pointed out the importance of the Counter Messaging Centre (CMC) which functions in discrediting, deconstructing and demystifying propaganda and narratives of extremist groups.
"So far, several individuals have been traced and arrested for spreading such propaganda and militant ideology online," he said.
In JOHOR, the state police seized thousands of ringgit worth of various drugs during several raids on IS suspects in Johor recently.
"We believe they are selling drugs to fund their illegal activities," said Johor Special Branch chief SAC Ahmad Ramdzan Daud after presenting certificates of appreciation to police personnel at the 211th Police Day celebration at Johor police headquarters today.
Among the seven IS suspects captured was an Indonesian.