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SPEAK UP theSun ON WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 1, 2014
Let’s get our numbers right This letter is worth revisiting because it location is safer than it actually is. Residents hits the nail on its head, addressing the core are not put on the alert they ought to be. of what truly afflicts crime management Worse, when reality hits based on personal today: Political interference. experiences, there is a growing sense of Take, for example, the claim that there distrust of the authorities. were cases where foreigners with work Now, I cannot begin to understand the HE last week of the year is meant to be permits were being arrested just to increase complexities of managing a police force in a peaceful, reflective one. Mine was statistics, and where suspects in other cases any comprehensive way. But this one anything but. For the second time in would be shifted around just to “close” a case. example shows that, perhaps, politicians are 2013, I contributed to the country’s This reminds me of what I making use of “indexed crime” crime statistics by having my personal consider to be the most and statistics in a way that Having clearly belongings taken from me (this time, in the brilliant television series to disincentivises performance in not-so-sleepy-town of Malacca). date, The Wire (Season 3), a real and meaningful way. broken-down Anyone who has been a victim of crime which presents an accurate Perhaps, ironically enough, it is data as to would go through the normal steps of feeling picture of that sometimes due to the incessant need to specific shocked, angry and then eventually murky relationship between deliver numbers that has disappointed with the system that one politics and the city police in eroded the police force’s ability locations in imagines is meant to protect, and not harm. America’s drug-ridden to truly tackle crime in a more which crimes My experiences have been no different; and it Baltimore. concerted and effective are taking is certainly easy to poke at why the In one episode, the police manner. place, and at administration has failed to combat crime commissioner is under And this is where residents when these incidents become personal stories pressure from the city’s what time of the like you and me come in. As that are shared widely on social networks. mayor to reduce crime rates, day, would help people who would be the direct Official government statistics, however, in light of an impending beneficiaries of an improved us be on the seem to indicate a lowering of reported crime. election, and instructs his system, we ought to first alert. Indexed crime reportedly fell from more than subordinate to lower the demand for transparency in 76,000 cases in the first half of 2012 to over felony rate, with a blatant, “I information. Having clearly 74,000 cases in the same period of 2013. don’t care how you do it”. broken-down data as to specific But violent crime itself has risen, which The weary police major responds by saying locations in which crimes are taking place, includes robbery. there are “processes” he could employ to and at what time of the day, would help us be Of course, the real question is how reliable “reclassify” cases. on the alert. This ought to be regularly these figures are. Malaysia has stopped This is a fictitious rendition of a city in a updated and publicly accessible. providing crime data to the United Nations different part of the world, but the game-play This sort of data is controversial because Office on Drugs and Crime. Critics would be between this politician seeking a popular it highlights hotspot areas, which may in turn quick to point out that statistics can be easily mandate and the public administration that place black marks on selected police stations. manipulated to suit political needs. Recall, for does his bidding out of sheer coercion can be But this is the best possible way of ensuring instance, the startling revelation last year in easily transplanted into any context, ours accountability. In fact, William J. Bratton (the which a veteran police officer wrote a letter included. famed police commissioner of New York claiming there was a systematic attempt to What politicians may not realise is that City) went on to successfully transform the lower crime statistics by tampering with how massaging these crime figures can have Los Angeles police department by crime cases are classified whenever a police serious consequences. Falsely depressing establishing personal relationships between report is lodged. numbers gives the impression that a certain police officers and residents, and introducing
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new statistical models to track crime. There are numerous other factors that contribute to a rising crime rate, chief of which being socio-economic conditions and poor educational backgrounds. These are macroeconomic factors beyond the control of a police force, but which do fall under the mandate of a government. These must be consistently examined, and the results of Malaysia’s dismal standing in the international PISA rankings are not encouraging either. But even without elaborating upon the root causes of crime, it is clear that much can and should be done in the way the police force as an institution itself can be better managed. Much has already been written about the recommendation to implement the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission. This is not likely to be revisited, given past vehement opposition. The most basic and practical thing to do is for political leaders to show leadership by publishing accurate data on crime, regardless of whether the numbers have risen or not. The police force ought to also co-operate on this count, which would display goodwill on their part. Finally, a lot more effort must be put into police-community interactions, either with the help of local councils, neighbourhood committees, Rukun Tetangga, religious groups or otherwise. Armed with the right information, these multi-stakeholder interest groups can then collaborate in the collective effort of managing crime together. Tricia Yeoh is the chief operating officer of a local, independent think-tank. She wishes everyone a happy and crime-free 2014. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
CHINESE NEW YEAR 2014 YEAR OF THE GREEN WOOD HORSE: PROSPERITY AND ENERGETIC GROWTH In the Chinese ethos and astrology, the HORSE is associated with intelligent use of high energy and uncompromising efforts to improve ourselves towards obtaining better fortune and financial results. Driven by the yang energy of the Green Wood Horse – ambitious, capable people are likely to attain further, dynamic growth in 2014. Building and consolidating on the steady progress generated during the previous year of the black water snake.
Supplement
informative features published in the theSun Chinese New Year Supplement t Predictions for the Year of the Wood Horse for each of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs t Insights how luck and fortune can be maximized in the year of the horse t Preparations by Shopping Malls in the lead up to the New year t New Year’s fashion, tips and trends
Enhance your celebrations, festive spirits and luck and fortunes in the ensuing Year of the Wood Horse by imbibing the insights, predictions, shopping tips and
t Reunion dinners, featuring traditional CNY dishes and interesting dining places t Valuable tips on enhancing the festive ambience at home
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