Being street smart against crime

Oct 12, 2024

By Melina Yeoh
What do you do if you are face to face with a home intruder? Do you scream, stay still or run for cover?

On September 21, more than 60 women and a handful of men spent a productive afternoon attending an interactive talk on Crime Awareness Campaign 2024 at KL Gateway Mall organised by the Women Ministry, under the Archdiocese Office for Human Development.

The session included topics ranging from burglary, home intrusion, snatch thefts, road rage, stalking and drug trafficking to other violent crimes.

Safety activist, Captain Balasupramaniam Krishnan more fondly known as Captain Bala, spent more than three and a half hours sharing his experience. For preventive measures, he introduced some practical home locking devices and demonstrated the use of pepper spray to detract attackers. He also advocated neighbourhood vigilance, if there is something suspicious, report to the police. We should always have our district police headquarters (IPD) phone number in hand.

He also taught us how to check if there are hidden cameras in your hotel room, changing rooms at shopping malls and restrooms. He told us that after this session, we will be suspicious of everything. While it was a joke, it also alerted us on the importance of being vigilant and not fall prey to such crimes.

Women Ministry coordinator Susan Thomas was pleased with the turnout and the active engagement from the participants. “Besides participation from more than eight parishes, we had people from other faiths attending this talk. It was a good eye opener for everyone whether you are a teenager, a young adult, a parent or a senior citizen - learning ways to be alert, how to react and to equip oneself with basic knowledge.”

The feedback from the participants were very positive with most saying they benefitted from the session and would recommend the programme to family and friends.

One participant commented that this session would have benefitted teenagers. As can be seen from the slides that Capt Bala presented, most victims and those who commit crimes are teenagers. She hopes Capt Bala can design a programme for teenagers and young adults to be more aware of the dangers and take the necessary precautions.

Another commented that the programme was indeed very helpful to acquire good knowledge on how to keep safe and protect oneself and family.

Capt Bala was knowledgeable, his useful case study and sharing with his sense of humour made the session so lively and not too heavy

“While it is our mission to empower women to flourish and grow to their full potential, they also need to feel safe when at home and outdoor.”

The refreshments were provided by Tender Hearts Cafe whose special need youths baked delicious muffins served with hot milk tea.