MIRI: Mayor Lawrence Lai is urging the Home Ministry to increase the number of policemen in the resort city by at least 20 per cent and to upgrade Miri Central Police Station.
He argued that Miri was home to about 330,000 people but there were only 500 policemen to protect them.
“Miri needs at least another 100 more policemen,” he said during the full council meeting yesterday.
Lai said there was also a need to improve Miri Central Police Station’s facilities and amenities to enable police personnel to discharge their duties and responsibilities in a more comfortable environment.
On the council’s side, he said it planned to install a CCTV system to better monitor goings-on in the city to help keep the people safe.
“We are still waiting for a proper control room to be set up, and this is estimated to cost RM2 million.”
On crimes here, Lai, citing police statistics, said the number of reported crime cases from Jan till Thursday was lower than that reported during the corresponding period in 2013.
“There were 727 crime cases reported throughout the mentioned period this year, and 207 cases, or 29 per cent, were solved, with 293 arrests made.
“For the corresponding period last year, 914 cases were reported, but only 173 cases, or 19 per cent, were solved, with 194 arrests made.”