Time for cops to halt crooks
14/08/2006 The Star VALLEY VIEW BY FREDERICK FERNANDEZ

THERE was a time when victims of snatch thieves were mainly women, not anymore though because now they target just about anybody, including well-built males.

There was also a time when snatch theft incidents occurred mostly at dark alleys and isolated and hidden streets. Now, these take place in broad daylight and in full view for all to see, even in the busiest streets of Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya and other major towns.

Then there was a time snatch thieves just snatch and dash away.

A file picture of a demonstration by police of a typical snatch theft scenario at the Malacca Sentral bus station.
Not anymore! Now these scums are willing to kill just for some money or valuables.

These criminals do not value lives and are the cause of Klang Valley folks living in fear.

This is a worrying trend because apart from an increase in snatch theft, mugging and robbery cases, the perpetrators carry weapons and go to the extent of causing grievous hurt if not killing their victims.

The public have yet to come to terms with the senseless killing of 18-year-old Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman (KTAR) student Lee Kean Yip who was stabbed and slashed by two men as he was walking back to his hostel in Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur on July 29.

Moments after that, another KTAR student Phang Kar Wei, sustained serious injuries after he was robbed and slashed with a parang in Taman Melati.

The question on everybody's mind is how these snatch thieves, burglars and robbers have become much bolder and ruthless.

Are these crooks not afraid of walking into the long arms of the custodians of law and order, the police? I think not.

The thieves know very well that these days policemen can rarely be seen patrolling residential areas.

Often we hear the standard reply from the police when we question why they arrive very late upon getting a tip off from the public about suspicious looking characters in their neighbourhood.

“We do not have enough man-power. The other patrol cars have broken down. We have to cover a huge area, you know. “

Whatever the explanation, as taxpayers have a right to be accorded protection and to keep criminal acts at bay.

For the residents, it is really unfair as they are actually being taxed twice when they are forced to hire private guards to patrol their neighbourhood.

For the more affluent, they are able to invest in automatic gates, install close-circuit television and burglar alarm but what about the rest?

The situation is getting from bad to worse, prompting residents of Taman Lee Yan Lian in Section 17, Petaling Jaya to take matters into their own hands.

Fed-up with the frequent house break-ins and snatch theft, they invested their own money to put up gates, fencing and a security post at Jalan 17/35 and Jalan 17/62.

But now the residents have to “battle” with the Petaling Jaya City Council which deemed the gates illegal and ordered them to remove the structures.

Even housing developers are now inclined to provide a “gated community” as a value-added feature for their homes as more and more people give priority to safety and security of their family and belongings.

Times have changed and the crooks have become smarter and bolder. It is time the police and the relevant authorities work to ensure they are always one step ahead of the bad fellows.

More importantly, what the public appeal for is to make the presence of police personnel more visible in their neighbourhood, at least some of the time if not all the time, just to tell the crooks that the cops are watching their backs.