CCTV with recording capability in all interogation rooms - but still not enough....

We definitely need CCTV (with recording capabilities) in all police stations, and if we did have them already, then it would have been so easy to investigate and to find out what really happened to Kugan (died in police custody - starved, burned, beaten...) OR B Parabakar and C Solomon (allegedly tortured in police custody - scalded with hot water) OR Lourdes Mary (denied required healthcare) .

Was the suspect arrested and detained by the police treated according to the law? Well - here is the CD containing the CCTV recordings(with audio) concerning the suspect to prove that all his rights were recognized and respected. This is what happens in Hong Kong, whereby the police do provide the suspect's lawyers copies of the recordings to prove that all was done in accordance with the law...

These CCTV recordings show how the suspect is informed about his rights...how the interogation was carried out ...how the identity parade was conducted, etc..

Time for the Malaysian Police (and maybe the Minister in charge) to run over to Hong Kong and study their very good practice - so that we can implement the same in Malaysia very very soon.

In Malaysia, some police stations already have CCTV - but alas, I found out that they do not have recording ability...and that there is no audio.

Now, the police is saying that they will install CCTV in interogation rooms - and I hope these will have recording capabilities with audio. (and hopefully they will be working in good condition all the time....)

But, it should not just be at the interogation rooms and the lock-ups, it must be all over the police station. In fact, even police cars and vehicles should be equiped with CCTV. Even police officers on duty can be hooked up with CCTV.

Police will install CCTVs in the interrogation rooms of all police stations.

CID Director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin said the installation would be done in stages, with state police headquarters and district headquarters as priority areas.

“The logistics are being worked out. Once we have all in place, we will start installing them to avoid any more allegation of abuse or torture.

“The interrogation rooms will have to be redesigned to accommodate the CCTV,” he said after handing over forensic equipment and polylight (ultraviolet light to detect fingerprints and stains) to the police forensics team at the Senior Police Officers College in Cheras yesterday.

Comm Mohd Bakri said the idea to have CCTV-installed rooms was mooted by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan, who visited several countries recently and found there were special rooms with audio and CCTV recording facilities for interrogation purposes.

Although police had such facilities here, it was confined only to certain lock-ups. - Star, 5/3/2009, Interrogation rooms in police stations to be monitored