Witness a crime or an accident, and you can swiftly alert police through the Volunteer Smartphone Patrol (VSP) application.

Witness a crime, use VSP

KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 — Witness a crime or an accident, and you can swiftly alert police through the Volunteer Smartphone Patrol (VSP) application.

Besides providing a first information report, members of the public can also upload pictures or videos of accidents, crime or disasters they witness which require an emergency response.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is scheduled to launch the VSP application today in conjunction with the 210th Police Day celebrations.

“It’s a new smartphone application which allows the public to report crime,” said Senior Assistant Commissioner Datuk Sun Teoh Tia of Federal Police Crime Prevention and Communication Safety Department.

He called on the public to download the application, which would be available soon after the launch.

Elaborating on the system, he said, smartphone users would have to pre-register to enable them to use the application. 

Described to be swifter that the conventional dial-for-emergency, the VSP application will not only enable police to gauge how dire an emergency was, but to also initiate the appropriate response.

Sun said that the application also provided a location setting which enabled the deploying of the closest response teams to the scene.

“The control centre will go through reports and determine if immediate action is needed, or if it requires further follow-up,” said Sun.

To increase interactivity, users who submit reports would also receive a response from police following the submission.

Sun hopes this will encourage the public to participate in crime prevention and alert authorities to any wrong doing taking place.

Smartphone users can download the free application from the Gallery of Malaysian Government Mobile Applications website.

“Most Malaysians have smartphones and the government views this as an platform to reinforce crime prevention efforts,” said Sun. 

“We hope to increase community involvement in taking quick, accurate and effective action.” 

As an extension of the Rakan Cop programme, the application targets to have 4.8 million users, and Sun said 600,000 members of RakanCop will automatically be included into the application registry. 

Authorities also hope to attracts about three million Rela members and another 1.2 million 1Malaysia for Youth members. 

“We are also targeting the alumni of the National Service Training Programme (PLKN) 2.0,” said Sun.