Cops spring surprise on student

2010/02/10

GEORGE TOWN: The High-Profile Policing walkabout programme by Southwest district police chief Superintendent Mohd Hatta Mohd Zain caught many Bayan Baru locals by surprise yesterday morning. While it was a pleasant surprise for some, it was not quite so for a schoolboy when he was "interrogated" by Hatta in an entertainment outlet in Jalan Mahsuri.

The boy, in his early teens, was playing video games in the outlet, when Hatta walked in accompanied by several senior police officers, Rela and Civil Defence Department personnel.

The secondary school student was trembling as he answered Hatta's questions.

The boy told Hatta that he was killing time at the outlet before going to school in the afternoon.

Hatta inspected the boy's backpack, which contained his school uniform and shoes, and later let him off after advising him to focus on his studies.

After leaving the outlet, Hatta also took a peek into another entertainment outlet a few doors away before continuing his rounds, visiting banks, coffee shops, hawker centres and the Sunshine Square shopping mall to meet and greet the public.

Hatta said the programme, which began on Feb 1, was to introduce a more interactive approach in the police's patrolling duties.

"This is a more constructive approach in curbing crime, while maintaining a strong and constant presence in the community to discourage criminal activities and promoting a healthy and safe lifestyle," he told reporters during the walkabout.