He said he had received numerious grouses and complaints from members of the public who expressed their dismay and disappointment over the "ineffectiveness" of the CID in solving crimes like car thefts, break-ins, extortions and robbery.

He said instead, the Bintulu traffic police had been more sucessful than their counterparts in curbing the increase of car thefts in Bintulu, as they had been able to solve at least two cases of car thefts.

"However, this shows that the police are really functioning, doing their policing work and they are on their toes to fight crime. It is probably certain police units like the CID, which has become the target of severe and harsh criticisms and complaints from public, " he said.

Tiong was responding to a news report in a local Chinese daily that the police traffic department had been successful in arresting a male suspects and seizing two cars in connection with car thefts.

The thieve are believed to be on his way from Miri to send the motor vehicles to a car syndicate in Selangau.  It is also believed the thieve was paid handsomely between RM500 and RM1000 for each snatched car.

Tiong said the higher authorities in the police force should carry out a thorough investigation to find out the reason, if the public complaints had any basis whatsoever, that the CID had been slow or ineffective in combating crimes including car thefts in Bintulu.

"Apparently, the public seems to be praising the traffic police more than the CID which probably only concentrates on serious crimes and treats car thefts as petty crimes.  Ironically, I received so many complaints from the people who said the CID was also unable to solve the bigger and serious crimes."

Tiong said like any residents in Bintulu, he wondered if the CID had ever received tip-offs or information from the public when break-in, robbery or a car theft being committed, and whether it had acted swiftly, the way it should have, by rushing to the crime scene.

Tiong said it would be ironic that CID being the pride of a police department did not receive tip-offs from the public and such information was channeled to the police traffic instead.

"The CID is the primary color of the police force and it is the flagbearer in our war against crime.  But the CID in Bintulu police department does not seem to hold to that expectation," he said, adding that the CID must be seen to be solving criminal cases and not keeping quiet when a case was solved.

The CID, Tiong contended should carry out some public relations and image-making exercises in improving its image in the eyes of the public, as it was one of the most important organ and being the nervous system of the police department.

"The CID in particular should inform the public or make public announcement on certain publishable information on its war against crime especially when cases are solved."

"Projecting a good image of the police force is not that easy but it is an important tool to inform the public from time to time that it is doing something to fight crime. The CID should also show it is serious in solving criminal cases and it cares when the lives and the properties are at stake," he said, adding that the CID must be seen to be working, efficient and effective.

Tiong also congratulated the Bintulu police traffic of a job well done in
fighting crimes especially in putting a stop on car thefts that had been on
the rise in Bintulu, as it was seen as a departure from their daily duties of
supervising traffic in Bintulu.

"I hope the traffic police will keep up the good work and continue to upgrade its efficiency and effectiveness especially to make Bintulu a safer town from crime," he said, adding that there was however rooms for improvement for the CID to buck up and scale to greater heights.

Tiong also asked the members of the public to be patient, as he was confident that CID was in capable hands.  

"The public should not be looking down at the CID as after all, the police personnel are human beings. Being humans, they make mistakes and they could improve from there on," he added.

Tiong said he would bring this matter up and discuss this issue with Home Ministry, and hoped certain measures could be taken to resolve the problem at hand.

He also called on the public to be vigilant as there had been sharp increase in crime in Bintulu as compared to other divisions in Sarawak, adding that the public must assist and co-operate with the police force in reducing the crime rate in Bintulu....END.