GEORGE TOWN – The Penang police have opened a total of 146 disciplinary investigation papers throughout last year, a drop of 15%, compared with 171 cases recorded in 2021, said the state police chief Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain.
He said the papers involved 23 officers, 200 policemen and one civil servant on duty in the Penang Royal Malaysia Police.
“Of that number, 92 people have faced action, while 15 people have been acquitted, including receiving letters of reprimand or advice, 52 people with no further action; 49 people are in the period of responding to representations and waiting for a decision, while the remaining 16 people are still under disciplinary investigation.
“Last year, the Penang Integrity and Standards Compliance Department has successfully completed 132 investigation papers, and a total of 21 officers and policemen have been detained, six have been suspended and 12 others have been sacked,” he told reporters after the Penang police monthly assembly at Batu Uban Marine Police Force headquarters, here today.
He said the number of disciplinary investigation papers shows a good trend as a result of initiatives carried out by the Integrity and Standards Compliance Department, including the frequency of compliance checks, field training involving additional parades, additional monitoring, departmental audits, meeting sessions and transparent disciplinary investigations without prejudice.
Meanwhile, Shuhaily said police will carry out comprehensive traffic enforcement actions, involving basic road laws and regulations, to curb road users flouting the rules.
He said the enforcement was carried out involving five phases. The first phase involves all police officers, personnel and family members of the Penang police complying with traffic laws and then providing advocacy through explanations in terms of safety implications and compliance by using the method of arresting road users and explaining offences to them.
“The next three phases involve issuing summonses against traffic offenders, arresting them or seizing (the vehicles) according to the offence committed. After the action has been taken, the police will then review the effectiveness of the enforcement actions that have been implemented,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said the police had carried out 159 street gang operations with a total of 108 arrests last year, with all of them charged in accordance with Section 42(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
Also during the same period, police carried out 126 drunk-driving operations, and a total of 220 people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, while a total of 1,079 vehicles were seized according to Section 64(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
“A total of 422,177 summonses were issued throughout last year, compared with 377,457 summonses recorded in 2021. As many as 35,897 summonses were settled last year, with a total collection of RM7.5 million, compared with 183,964 summonses, involving RM15.10 million, recorded in 2021,” he said.
Meanwhile, a total of 6,120 crime cases were recorded in the state last year, which is a decrease of 43.4%, or 2,657 cases, compared with the same period in 2021.
Shuhaily said that the drop in criminal cases was the result of various efforts carried out by the police, especially in ensuring the presence of the police at focal locations, and continuous monitoring of crime-prone areas.
He said that for violent crime, the threshold value is 1,488 cases, and a total of 946 cases were recorded, a drop of 542 cases, or 36.4%. The threshold value for property crime is 4,632 cases, and a total of 2,517 cases were recorded, a decrease of 2,115 cases, or 45.7%.
A total of 8,641 investigation papers were opened, and 4,290, or 49.65%, of them, were brought to court last year, compared with 8,695 opened, with 3,812, or 43.84% of the investigation papers, were brought to the court in 2021 – an increase of 478 cases, or 12.5%.
He added that the state Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department had seized various types of drugs, worth RM15.56 million, and 13,110 people had been arrested last year, with forfeiture of property amounting to RM14.78 million.
In the meantime, he said that the Penang Commercial Crime Investigation Department recorded a total of 2,546 cases, involving a total loss of RM122.17 million, last year, compared with 3,209 cases recorded, with a total loss of RM538.20 million, in 2021.
It has also conducted 1,715 operations, with a total of 1,757 arrests, and 40.1% of cases were resolved last year, he said. – Bernama, January 6, 2023
