Busting vice using tech: Comm Jauteh (second from right) presenting a QR barcode to Kota Kinabalu police chief Asst Comm Kasim Muda while Sabin (left) looks on.
KOTA KINABALU: People in Sabah will be able to report crimes or seek help from the authorities by just scanning a Quick Response (QR) code.
Called the “QR Code Aduan Masyarakat” (Public Complaints QR Code), the campaign and smart app are the brainchild of the Sabah police contingent and the first such launched in the nation.
The QR code will be posted in strategic locations like retail stores, malls, bus stops and busy pavements, among others.
Sabah police chief Comm Datuk Jauteh Dikun said Kota Kinabalu as well as the districts of Penampang, Tuaran and Papar have been chosen for a trial run.
He said the app was an innovation by Sabah police’s Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department, taking after the Volunteer Smartphone Patrol (VSP) app.
“This is the first time such an app has been launched in the country,” he said at the campaign launch here yesterday.
Comm Jauteh said the new app would not replace the VSP, adding that the QR Code Aduan Masyarakat was to serve as an alternative to enable people to make quick reports.
Besides crime, Comm Jauteh said the public can also channel information on traffic congestion, road mishaps, or injuries suffered in accidents.
“People can even report if they get lost in the city or in the districts,” he said, adding that the app was a way for the police to keep up with current technological advancements and have a closer rapport with the community.
Comm Jauteh said the campaign will be expanded to include other districts in Sabah in stages, adding the Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department will first assess the data received to gauge the effectiveness of the app.
“All information received will be screened and scrutinised from an authenticity perspective and appropriate action will be taken if the information is inaccurate or malicious in nature,” he said.
He thanked mayor Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah, who was present at the launch, for providing support to the programme through Kota Kinabalu City Hall.
