KUALA LUMPUR: The Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will conduct an audit of the performance of state-level criminal investigation divisions across the country, ensuring that the recorded crime index accurately reflects on-the-ground realities.

Its director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said he will personally scrutinise the statistics to assess whether they align with public perceptions of safety in their respective states.

"The audit team from Bukit Aman will review all statistics, including the fluctuation in crime index rates nationwide, to determine if they correspond with the public's sense of security," he said during an engagement session with journalists at Bukit Aman today.

"For instance, if Kedah records a drop in crime index rates, I will revisit the state to verify whether the statistics truly reflect the community's sense of safety," he added.

Shuhaily stressed that the initiative is not aimed at penalising officers but to hold district and state-level investigators accountable for the crime statistics in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

"Investigating officers must provide explanation for the statistics, actions taken and their plans to further reduce crime index rates," he said.

The audit findings would be submitted to Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Razarudin Husain, who would present them to policymakers and state leaders.

Shuhaily said that a similar approach was undertaken during his tenure as Penang police chief from 2021 to 2023.

During the session, Shuhaily disclosed that only Kedah and Selangor recorded a decline in crime index rates last year, with reductions of 10.8 per cent and 13.3 per cent, respectively.

He also said that over 80 per cent of high-profile cases in 2024 were successfully resolved.

-- BERNAMA