Apr

22

My Night in the Police Station

April 22, 2009 | 1 Comment

I went to the police station last night to lodge a report on commercial crime and a threat I received a day earlier. I will not reveal the details of the report as I believe it is not right to reveal it if the police is going to investigate the matter. Anyway, it is a long story.

However, what I would like to share here is the situation I encountered the whole night. I could not remember the exact time I reached the police station which is also the police headquarter of the district but I think it was somewhere between 6.30pm to 7.00pm. When I arrived, there were three police officers manning the counter and two of them were taking reports from two different people. I went to the third officer and told him that I want to make a report and he asked me to sit down in front of him while he was looking through a book (I guess is a report log book). I waited for nearly half an hour before he entertained me. I told him briefly the thing I wanted to report and he took my details and keyed them into the computer. I offered to type the report myself as I know my report is going to be long and I had seen him struggling to type my details in the computer earlier. I also pity him because he seems quite elderly. He is also the most senior in rank among the three at the counter.

So, I spent almost 45 minutes typing my long report. While typing my report he left the counter for about 10 to 15 minutes probably to take a smoke. After I had finished, I told him I am done and he was still going through his book. So I waited again for about 15 minutes. By the time he wanted to look at my report, the whole report that I spent 45 minutes typing was gone. I was shocked. So was him. I thought he accidentally press the wrong key while adjusting the keyboard but no, it was session time out. I think it was left idle for too long. Then, he asked me if I still want to lodge the report and of course I said yes. But he did not let me type my report again immediately. He log into the system, looking through his book flipping through the pages and also printing other earlier reports from the computer. It took almost another half an hour before he finally let me type my report again.

This time I took slightly lesser time (30 to 40 minutes) to type my report as I had already figured out what to say earlier and I omitted some small portion. When I told him I had finished my report, he was still flipping through his book stapling other reports into the book. After waited for 5 to 10 minutes, I was not very patient anymore because if the system was left idle for too long again, then my report would be gone one more time and I have to re-type them again. So, I decided to enter all my details into the system myself. After I am all done he was still with his book. It took probably another 10 to 15 minutes before he is settled with his book and looked at my report.

He then printed my report and called for an Investigating Officer (IO). He tried to read my whole report to the IO but I guess the IO stopped him halfway when he sensed he is not going to stop anytime soon. So, the IO requested to speak to me over the phone. The IO told me he was having dinner outside the police station and asked me to see him near a mamak shop where he was having dinner. I was really surprised but I obliged him. I requested for his mobile number but he asked me to get it from the police station. I asked the police officers there and they told me they are not supposed to give me his mobile number. I was blank for a while. I am going to see a police officer which I never met outside the police station at a place I am not familiar with, and I can’t get his mobile number. I posted the question to the police officers there. Finally they asked me to back call the police station when I reach the place and the operator will connect me to him.

So, I went off in search for a mamak shop (presumably a famous one among the people in that area). I found it. I called the police station and they connect me to the IO. It rang for quite sometime without an answer before the operator told me the IO is not in the office. I was like ‘huh?’ The operator is supposed to connect me to his mobile phone! So, I told the operator the whole story that I am looking for the IO whom had asked me to meet him outside the police station. He finally gave me his mobile number and I called the IO. He told me he is just a nearby at a café and I can spot the café when I see a police car. I went around three four times the area but could not find a single police car. I called him again to tell him I cannot find any police car. He told me the mamak shop has two branches with similar name and he is near the other branch of the mamak shop. So, I asked the mamak people there for the location of their other branch. I followed the direction but it does not seem right when I reach a place where there are a lot of mamak shops and cafés but could not find the one I am looking for. When I was about to give up and call the IO, I found another police station. I got down the car and asked for the direction to the presumably famous mamak shop and the presumably famous café nearby. This round I got a better and clearer direction. It was not too far from that area. So, I continue my journey to find the presumably famous mamak shop and café. Half way reaching that area, the IO called me and told me that I had waited for me for a long time (yes, it was almost an hour or more I guess) and he had urgent matter to attend to and had to go back. He asked me to see him the next morning (later today) at the police station! By that time it was about 11.15pm already.

What do you think of our police force?

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Comments



1 Comment so far

  1. calvaryzone on April 22, 2009 2:04 pm

    thats alot of run around for one night.

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