SHAH ALAM – Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar wants police patrol car response time to a reported incident to be shortened from the current set time of not more than 12 minutes.
“For example, a patrol car within a one-kilometre radius of a reported crime incident should be at the location in not more than four minutes. This is a challenge that can be a reality. It’s not impossible to achieve it if there’s seriousness and commitment on the part of members of the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) who have been entrusted to carry out their duties,” he said at the handing-over of 10 Proton Inspira cars to the police by Proton Holdings Bhd, here yesterday.
While expressing appreciation for Proton’s contribution of the manual 1.8-litre cars as police patrol vehicles, Ismail said the gift was logistically important for the policemen in carrying out their daily tasks efficiently and effectively as they were the PDRM’s frontliners. He said a sufficient number of patrol vehicles could increase police omnipresence [sic] in an area for effective crime-prevention and maintenance of security and public order.
Ismail said Proton had established cooperation with PDRM since 1985, starting with the contribution of Proton Saga cars as patrol vehicles and todate, 3,752 Proton cars had been used nationwide as patrol cars. He said Proton had also collaborated with PDRM’s Research and Development Division to come up with a prototype patrol car by modifying the Inspira.
“The programme was implemented after considering the need for PDRM to replace 3,647 patrol cars acquired in 2006 and which had reached their age limit of usage.” Ismail later told a press conference that PDRM had skilled drivers who needed suitable patrol cars that could scare criminals.
Proton Group managing director Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said Proton cars were used not only by PDRM, as the Australian police were using the Satria GTi and the police in the United Kingdom, the Satria GTI and Waja as patrol cars.
He said the Inspira patrol cars were worth RM150,000 to RM160,000 each asthey were equipped with communications and additional devices required by the police, compared to the price of a basic Inspira at around RM70,000. Syed Zainal Abidin also said that Proton and PDRM had cooperated since 18 months ago to build the prototype patrol car at a cost of RM100,000 and an additional RM30,000 for equipment.
Besides the communications system, siren and warning lights, the prototype model is fitted with a polycarbonate screen to separate the policemen in front from the arrested crime suspects at the back. “We are ready to go for mass production (of the prototype),” said Syed Zainal Abidin.
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