KUALA LUMPUR: The police should perform a thorough evaluation of risks associated with their cases to gauge its potential risk and maintain public trust and a positive image.

Universiti Sains Malaysia criminologist Datuk Dr P. Sundramoorthy said the police could help maintain public perception, trust and confidence should the police prioritise expediting investigations on public interest and sensitive high profile-cases.

This is following certain perceptions and claims by quarters that there are politically hidden hands behind the 3R cases.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain has dismissed the claims, calling it baseless as police are probing 3R cases even towards laymen.

P. Sundramoorthy said the police help maintain public perception by conducting a risk assessment to determine the severity and urgency of each case.

He said the police should assess the potential impact of each case and whether it is related to national security and safety issues, and public interest and prioritise cases with higher potential risks or consequences.

“Any potential threat to human life and safety becomes a major priority including the involvement of organised crime or terrorism, likelihood of the suspect fleeing or potential for escalation must also be prioritised.

“Hate crimes especially must also be addressed with priority since it can destroy the very delicate social fabric of society by destabilising national harmony,” he said, adding that the police must regularly engage with relevant stakeholders, including prosecutors, victims and their families to understand their perspectives and expectations.

He added that the police must also assess the strength and availability of evidence in each case and that cases with strong evidence or high chances of obtaining critical evidence should be prioritised as they are more likely to result in successful investigations or prosecutions.

The police, he said, must also assess the complexity of each case, taking into account factors such as the need for specialised skills from other organisations and additional resources.

“It is essential to note that prioritisation should be carried out objectively and within the limits of the law, without compromising the principles of fairness, due process and equal treatment under the justice system.

“Crime is colour blind, however, the police must prudently and skillfully prioritise high profile sensitive cases.

“(The police should also) regularly review and reevaluate the priority of ongoing cases to ensure that it aligns with the latest developments, emerging threats or changing circumstances,” he said.

Crime analyst Kamal Affandi Hashim said the police should not focus on the perception of others and instead focus on their projected image and expected outcome from their own set of standards.

He explained that investigations into 3R cases may seem more fluid and faster as its daily recurrence is much less than other cases.

The team probing into the 3R cases, he said, are also not the normal investigating officers, but a task force that solely focuses on insults towards religion, race and the royalty.

“These are not your normal investigating officers. These are people dedicated to that function (to investigate any cases that insult religion, race and the royalty).

“So they have no overlapping manpower in terms of initiating and executing this investigation so of course it’s going to be faster,” he said.

This article first appeared on NST.