I am always under pressure from residents when family and property become issues that are falling deeper and deeper into a bottomless sinkhole.
They always complain to me their horrible experiences on being robbed. I can only do that much about security issues. At best, I can help them is to convey their horrifying experience to the OCPD of the area, and call press conference for them to tell their stories to the media.
Last month, I was trying something new in Sri Petaling. I took the advice of an activist Mr Chin and launched a campaign of whistle blowing against crime to battle against crime or to prevent crime from happening.
The photos below taken from the press conference at Sri Petaling last month.
This is Mr Tan Tai Tong, the chairman of Sri Petaling Resident Association. The woman next to him is Emily Sim, she is my volunteered assistant in my Seputeh service center.
This is Mr Chin, he was the one who propagated the whistle blowing against crime campaign.
I am giving away whistles to resident association heads. The man in red is Lim Poh Huu, a strong man in Taman Desa.
The woman in red is resident association representative in Taman Abadi Indah Condo in Taman Desa.
Lets blow the whisle together. I find that the sound came out from my whistle is weak, I realise that my inner blowing strength (or “qi” in chinese) is not strong.
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http://mykampung.sinchew.com.my/node/32017?tid=6
星洲日报 4/5/08
郭素沁：除了警方加強防範‧抗罪案民眾要自救
（吉隆坡）行動黨士布爹國會議員郭素沁促請民眾在等待政府和警方加強社區防範罪案工作之餘，也採取自救方式，集合力量對抗罪案。
她週六（3日）早在大城堡花園主持吹哨子防罪案計劃后，針對一些居民不斷譴責防範罪案應是警方工作，警方只建新警局也無補於事等埋怨，發表上述看法。
她說，一直以來，在國會會議都有討論防範治安課題，這也是朝野國會議員關注的課題，因為國會議員當中，也有人曾親身經歷遇劫情況，但在等待警方提昇他們的防範罪案效率之際，居民也要先設法自救。
派出1000個哨子給居民
為此，其服務中心與居民協會配合，並在其中一名居民陳宗城發起下，進行吹哨子防罪案運動，他們今天共派出1000個哨子給居民。
陳宗城也在現場指導出席居民如何正確使用哨子，一旦發現或遇到罪案發生時，如何用吹哨子示警，達到一傳十，十傳百的阻嚇作用。
出席上述活動者包括居協主席陳大東、顧問鄭明坤和十五碑警局長馬斯南胡欣首席警長。
吹哨子防罪案方式最簡單
郭素沁說，她經常接到該選區居民投訴指罪案率日愈增加，每當她向警方反映居民問題時，警方都說警力不足，這造成一些花園區居民，被迫自聘保安人員看守，而她推介的吹哨子防罪案方式是最簡單和傳統。
她說，這方式令她想起孩童時，父母也是這麼做。父母曾告訴她，一旦遇到或發現有罪案發生，趕緊吹哨子通知其他人。她吁請居民在發現罪案發生時，不要羞於吹哨子，只要多人一起吹，必能起防罪案效果。
“高罪案率將嚇跑外資，令外資寧願選擇成本較高的新加坡投資。因此，民盟議員會繼續給以警方和國陣政府壓力，以加強防範罪案工作。 ”
聘保安員及吹哨子、裝電眼
大城堡2計劃防範罪案
陳大東表示，大城堡居民在防範罪案工作上進行2個計劃，其一各區通過自聘保安人員加強保安，至今已有4個區有自聘保安人員，雖然這4個區罪案率下降，但是未有自聘保安人員地區的罪案率卻提高，為此他們推介吹哨子防罪案運動。
閉路攝像機系統費用高
“第二個計劃是要求安裝閉路攝像機，這計劃已討論5年以上，其花費需要20萬令吉，可是至今未有結果，我們希望2年後，當這裡的一間新警局建好及啟用後，市政局能在安裝閉路攝像機時承擔50％費用，其餘由居民籌措。”
他說，如果整個大城堡都有閉路攝像機，有關攝像機的監控系統中心會安裝在新警局內，屆時居民會與警方配合。
他表示自聘保安人員的費用和人手都是自動自發的， 希望居民了解。
Dear Teresa,
I strongly support your move to promote whistle blowing and deter crime. I would like to suggest that more proactive measures be taken such as educating people in crime prevention & self-defense classes. I’m sure with the help of community leaders these classes can be conducted regularly starting with your constituency.
I like what Toyota is doing for its registered Tribe Toyota members: A programme called Urban Survival Skills which is made up of 2 modules – City Survival & Road Survival.
Perhaps we can introduce this type of programmes similar to the adult education classes in the 60s.
Keep up the good work!
Dear Teresa,
I very much hope to agree with this whistle blowing idea, but sincerely doubting its effectiveness. Instead, I am more keen to know what our police is doing about all the robberies, snatching and deteriorating security to property and lives of the very place that we call home!
We used to see PCs on beat, patrolling the streets in the old days. Why not now? The mere sight of the police would deter any crook who has evil intention.
Give our police the due respect, I still believe they know exactly what to do and they have the solutions, instead of they channeling their time and efforts elsewhere (you know what I mean). I hope that you set up a team to closely liaise with the police to successfully and effectively guard our places and security.
MP & YB Teresa Kok,
Everlasting crime scene happening, till turn on ‘red light’ to my area, Tmn Sg Besi (Seputeh)?
Previously, house broke-in, ‘small’ thieves walked in, *according* robbery while walking alone, etc. Even now, so many ‘land bom’ @building entrance – manhole steal been stolen! Pity to oldest & youngest, if no bare attention, get ‘bom’ injury!
Don’t know why, current administration waste our$ to benefit themselves? Since the petrol price hiked, had burden and (might be) a punishment to citizen of opposition territory?
How, why? My area of commercial lots, being installed and must be compulsory to pay parking fee to current administration! Mouth said, care about us; another face, ‘makan… makan… you diet i rich!’
MP Teresa Kok, over my area, our developer kept on asking us to pay monthly maintenance fee, but so far what we get? Do nothing, nothing being done!
Save us, help us, resolve our problem?
TQ.
Warmest regards.
Dear Teresa,
I am happy that you have the campaign to blow whistles in crime prevention.
I hope the MP in my area YB Wee Choo Keong will also adopt this idea.
God willing, crime rate will go down in our city as times go by…
Yb Teresa,
I shared with you that whistle blowing can be one of the methods in crime prevention.
I wish to know what type/brand of whistle that gives the strongest sound and how much the costs. So that I can order in bulk and distribute it to my neighbourhood..
I heard many cases about petty crimes and snatch thief case. There was one case involving a secondary student where 2 motocyclists snatched her mobile phone in day time whislt she is talking outside her house compound,the victim screamed, the immediate neighbours heard it and came out to have a curious look and then quickly locked the door and went inside the house (don’t want to be busy body).
The other resident from a few door away also heard that scream but he thought that it was only normal scream/quarrel between friends and also do nothing.
From this incidence, we would know that spirit of neighbourhood is lacking, alertness on crime is very low and there is no urgency to help each other. Secondly the victim herself did not ask for help. Only normal scream – HUI!, HUI! She should shout it as loud as possible as follows:-
TOLONG! POLIS TANGKAP DIA!.
(REPEAT!)
Regards
Cltan
Blowing whistle will only work in London where its an established practise…
here in the Malazutbolehland, unless there are police around and trained to respond, all these will be a bloody waste of efforts
My first time here, so hope you don’t mind =P.
It’s a bit late for this topic but I feel that I should add my 2 cents.
In my opinion, this idea for crime prevention will not be as effective as it may be. Why?
If I ascertain it right, its effectiveness will decrease greatly in the long term run. People will find it a nuisance to bring the whistle in spite of its possible benefits. Its like having a burden for months and to never even use it perhaps? Sooner or later, people will forget about the whistle and then shall they be ‘reminded’ of it as time passes.
Secondly, its effectiveness will decrease particularly in immediate areas around school. Many uniformed units such as the girl guides, scouts and so on too use these whistles as signal based communicators in school grounds (to regroup or such) As dealing with such commonly, some residents might misassume an actual distress whistle to be one of the normal whistle calls by such units like said by cltan
Note: from the pictures I see, the whistles in use are whistles also in use by the girl guides/scout unit. So, this may aggravate to such misassumption
In addition, I too feel that it will no deter any crime even should they bring the whistle. The thieves would be indifferent and make their hasty escape.
This leads to a third problem in this. Without proper channels of information, the sudden blowing of the whistle might lead to actual confusion. Some would ignore it while some would be like “What the ****?”
To catch a criminal, the catchers would require fast response and mobility since naturally the criminals would be making a hasty escape. This confusion may increase time delay and thus results in greater chance of escape.
Here’s my 2 cents but since its already going. I hope for the best ^^ and btw cltan, try those that are used by traffic police, i believe (<-note) that they are the strongest.
PS: My area seems to have more police around recently. I’ll have to check around again soon =p.