Last Updated: 6:41pm, Jun 25, 2014

KUALA LUMPUR (June 25): Banking institutions are encouraged to apply permit to set up an auxiliary police unit to boost security and public confidence.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Bakri Mohd Zinin said auxiliary police are comparatively more professional than ordinary security guards.

"Unlike security guards, auxiliary police must go through a training module similar to the police force, which will boost their skills and abilities to better handle their jobs," he said.

"Furthermore, they are granted some of the police powers such as carrying out minor investigations or making arrests within their area of jurisdiction," he said.

However, he said the total number an organisation can employ will be decided by the force. The quota, he said, will be based on the needs of each organisation.

"Currently, there are four banks with auxiliary police within their organisations, namely Bank Negara Malaysia, Public Bank Berhad, Maybank Berhad and Bank Simpanan Nasional," he continued, after meeting with security managers for all banking institutions at Menara Bank Islam today.

"We will leave it to the bank to decide (engagement of auxiliary police) because it involved bank's financial expenditure," he said.

Bukit Aman Crime Prevention and Eradication Department deputy director Datuk Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd and Bukit Aman Crime Investigating Department (Forensic Databank DNA and Strategic management) deputy director SAC T Narenasegaran were also present.

Auxillary police refers to police officer servicing in autonomous government agencies and key government-linked companies or entities such as Northport (Malaysia) Bhd (Northport), Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas), Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) and Telekom Malaysia (TM).

Some private companies, including Resort World Genting (RW Genting), Sunway Sdn Bhd and Pavillion KL were also granted to form auxiliary police units under special circumstances.

Meanwhile, Bakri said police are tighten up the approval process of issuing of firearms licence to security companies.

"We want to make sure only security personnels who fulfilled criteria that we set are equipped with firearms," he said.

According to police's statistic, a total of 78 cases of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) robberies were reported last year, with 38 cases happened in the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

While nine cases were reported this year so far.

For armoured car robberies, three cases were reported last year and two cases for this year.

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