KUCHING: Three Neighbourhood Watch Committees have been established across the 3rd Mile, 6th Mile and 10th Mile areas to strengthen community security.
Batu Kitang assemblyman Datuk Lo Khere Chiang said the initiative was undertaken with the Sarawak chapter of the Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF).
“The initiative is intended to encourage residents to look out for and protect one another,” he said during the Local Enforcement Agencies Dialogue with the Community at Open University Malaysia (OUM) Kuching here today (Aug 22).
Lo stressed that members were not expected to apprehend criminals or confront suspicious individuals.
Instead, the committees would provide a direct channel for residents and the police to exchange information on activities that may threaten public safety.
He cited a recent incident in Jalan Arang where a resident alerted a community WhatsApp group after noticing a man moving between several locations under suspicious circumstances.
As police personnel were also members of the group, officers were promptly deployed to patrol the area, after which the man left.
Lo said the three groups would be expanded gradually to ensure they remained properly coordinated and manageable.
“We cannot establish too many groups at once because they would become difficult to control and manage.
“I would not claim that we can eliminate crime entirely, but I am confident that we can reduce it through the Neighbourhood Watch initiative,” he said.
