IGP: Seven gang leaders in JB identified

Letter to the Editor of the Star (never got publish-le..)

Dear sir,

In ref to your headline "IGP: Seven gang leaders in JB identified" I have several question for the IGP.

1: What takes him so long to know that there are 7 Gang leaders with the help of influential people in JB?

2: Based on what empirical studies that, I am assuming the PDRM have done, the PDRM is so sure that these gang leaders and gangesterism is the root cause of ALL the crimes in JB?

3: Is the IGP therefore able to confidently conclude that once these 7 Gangleaders are put in detention there will be no more snatch thieves, rapist and robbers terrorizing the people of JB?

4: Following the above assumption, is the IGP telling the people of JB that all these crimes, like snatch thieves, robberies, rapist, car jacking etc are being committed by criminals or gangster connected to or aligned with the 7 Gang Leaders?

Instead of grandstanding about his knowledge on how many gang leaders there are operating in JB he should try to take a page from William Bratton the former Commissioner of the New York City Police Department on how he reduce crime by 10% per year since he took over the position.

Talk is cheap and maybe 10% is too high a standard - what about at least 5%?


IGP: Seven gang leaders in JB identified
Nation
Wednesday June 27, 2007

By LOURDES CHARLES and NELSON BENJAMIN

JOHOR BARU: Police have identified seven gang leaders who have been terrorising the state with the help of influential people.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said police were in the process of gathering intelligence to either take action against these leaders under the preventive laws or to charge them in court.

“Many crime heads are from the state. Not only are locals involved but Singaporeans also control certain areas,” he said, admitting that there was a lot of illegal activity in the state which needed to be cleaned up.

Musa explained that the police would have to weed out gangsterism, clamp down on VCD pirates, loan sharks and those involved in prostitution.

“We must take action against the leaders and not just target VCD sellers,” he said.

Musa was in Johor on a one-day working visit to discuss the crime situation with his men and also to brief Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman on police plans to curb the problem.

Asked whether officers carrying out their duties might fear reprisal or transfers because of these influential people, Musa replied: “My men need not worry about getting transferred if they are doing a good job. Just do not victimise anyone.”

Musa, who was satisfied with the efforts taken by the local police to tackle crime in the state, said there was no need for a special task force from Bukit Aman to be sent to Johor as had been done in Sarawak.

“They (Johor police) have their own task force. The situation in Sarawak is different as they (the gangsters) were too much,” he said.

“The situation in Johor is under control but can be improved.”

On gangsterism, Musa said nobody wanted to come forward to give evidence and, as such, the police would have to use preventive laws against the suspects.

“If the gangster comes out from detention within three months, what are we to do?” he asked.

Musa also took local councils to task for approving entertainment licences everywhere, which made policing difficult.

“Even in villages there are entertainment outlets,” he said, adding that fights usually broke out at pubs and clubs.