SHAH ALAM : With over 1,200 student misconduct cases reported in Selangor, state police patrolmen will now make their presence felt by surveilling school compounds.
Selangor deputy police chief Deputy Comm Mohd Zaini Abu Hassan said police in patrol cars and from motorcycle units will now carry out checks on school grounds to keep a closer watch on students.
Regular spot checks will also be conducted at boarding schools, he said.
These, he added, are among the measures being carried out to curb worrying behavioural trends among students including bullying, gangsterism and sexual crimes.
He said a total of 265 bullying cases and 954 other incidences of misconduct were recorded by the state education department this year.
He was speaking to reporters yesterday after visiting SMK Shah Alam, Bukit Jelutong, where he met with teachers, students and officials from the state education department.
DCP Mohd Zaini said although over 1,200 cases were recorded, police investigations were only opened for 41 of the reports, including nine related to bullying and 32 involving other offences.
He said some cases were dropped or lacked sufficient information while others were dealt with through school or departmental action.
Most of the cases handled by police were related to bullying and gangsterism outside of school hours but none resulted in prosecution, he added.
“With some 997,000 students in 944 primary and secondary schools, I consider 1,200 cases acceptable as it is just a tiny percentage of the student population.
“Overall, everything is in order. There are no schools in the state with serious issues of misconduct,” he said, adding that the exception were one or two cases that had caused a negative perception among the public.
He, however, said additional security measures and enhancements to existing policies will be made to promote a culture of social responsibility in schools.
“It is important to create an ecosystem that supports emotional well-being.
“Students must feel safe. They are encouraged to come forward and report cases of bullying, sexual offences, gangsterism and negative influences such as violent video games and immoral online content.
“They can approach the police if they have nowhere else to turn to,” he said, adding that the police would continue to work closely with the Education Ministry and other relevant agencies to ensure that schools remain safe and conducive environments for learning.
DCP Mohd Zaini said regular meet ups between the police and school authorities, parents and students, will also be held.
Parents will also be engaged to monitor the children’s behaviour and the usage of online platforms, he added.
“We strongly suggest they utilise the VSP (Volunteer Smart Phones) application where crimes can be directly reported to police.
“All parties must join hands to see that our children stay motivated to attend school,” he said, adding that school liaison officers have been instructed to enhance their presence and take preventive measures to avoid untoward incidents in schools.
