SIBU: Sarawak police will mobilise the participation of housewives in the state to combat crime in housing estates through the Sarawak contingent’s Amanita (special female personnel unit) housing estate adoption programme which was launched on Saturday (Aug 27).

Sarawak police commissioner Datuk Mohd Azman Ahmad Sapri (pic) said the garden adoption initiative aims to increase the involvement of police officers to be closer to residents in housing areas as well as communicating with housewives in an effort to prevent crime.

He said Amanita was a special unit under the police that was established in March 2013 to obtain information related to unreported crimes in the community in an effort to help the police reduce crime rates.

"Amanita officers will hold a collaboration between policewomen and housewives. This Amanita housing estate adoption initiative will also make the residential area a safer place.

"This cooperation is expected to help the police in terms of channeling information related to crime. If they find that there are suspicious things happening in the surrounding area, they can contact them directly and report to the police immediately," he said at the launch of the Taman Kemuyang Amanita Housing Estate Adoption Programme here Saturday.

Comm Azman said housewives were the right group to pass on information to the police because they are always at home and are aware of the happenings in their neighbourhood.

"So, they have the right to be given a mandate to jointly prevent local crime by reporting to the police," he explained and added that the selection criteria for adoption was based on the crime index in an area.

He added that by making Kemuyang Park an Amanita adopted area, it will not only benefit the local residents but surrounding areas estimated to have around 5,000 residents as well. - Bernama