Crime Rate/ Safety Issue in Johor Bahru (Johor Baru, Johore Bahru, Johor Baharu)

November 6th, 2008 stephen.wong

 One of the common topics that is always mooted upon the mention of Johor Bahru (Johor Baru, Johore Bahru, Johor Baharu) is the crime rate and safety issue. Stories of kidnapping, stolen vehicles, snatch theft and burglary abound and occasionally strikes a fear to would-be travelers to Johor Bahru. Unfortunately, there is a certain truth in most of the stories heard. Some examples:

 
True “Classic” Cases

1. Stolen BMW
A middle aged man parked his Singapore registered BMW near Jalan Tebrau (near the hawker center that is a famous hunt for cheap seafood) and got out of his car to make a phone call. Barely stepping out of the car, a man pushed the driver away, rushed in the car and drove it away, leaving the victim helplessly chasing and shouting. As with most other cases, the car was never recovered and the culprit not caught.
 
2. Snatch Thief

Driving home from work at night, Angeline pulled over her car just in front of her house (near Molek), waiting for the house gate to open. All of a sudden, someone smashed her glass window of her front door and snatched her Gucci bag away. Angeline was too shocked to react. Her family members, hearing the commotion quickly came outside of the house to calm the nerves of Angeline. The thief had by then has already scooted off on his motorcycle.
 

True Recent Cases

1. House Burglary (Taman Sentosa)

Steven always makes sure that his house is locked before leaving for work. He came back one day from work to find his house ransacked and his valuables gone. His neighbour saw a blue colour car parked in the house a few hours back but did not suspect anything because the 2 chinese man looked so calm that she thought are just visiting friends. 2 policemen carrying mid-sized weapons came shortly after Steven called the police. However, they refused to go into the house to investigate, fearing that the bugler could still be inside the house and could harm them (?!!). Steven had to lead the policemen into the house himself for them to take photos and gather evidence.
 
 2. House Burglary

Mrs. X (not sure of the name) was with her 2 year old daughter at home when someone suddenly lashes a knife in front of her neck. In a matter a 30minutes, the bugler tied up Mrs. X and her daughter and made away with RM$10,000 worth of valuables. Police investigation revealed that while the house doors are locked, the bugler came through the roof (yes, the roof) via removal of scaffolding and tiles.
 
3. Snatch Thief

Mr. Z (not sure of the name) was having his breakfast at a coffeshop when someone came by, snatched away his wallet he left on the table and ran away. Mr. Z managed to chase down the thief with the help of passer-bys. When the police arrived at the scene to detain the thief, he was already half-dead. So angry is the mob of people who witnessed the incident that they continued to attack the thief, even though he was already soaked in blood and pleading for his life.
 
 
It is sad to know that despite rampant occurrence of crimes, the police in Johor Bahru are to a large part still ineffective in crime maintenance and does not provide the necessary confidence and sense of security to the neighbourhoods.

While JB is generally still safe, below are some guiding principles that should be adhered to when you are visiting Johor Bahru to ensure that you have an incident free trip. Remember, your owe your safety to yourself and common sense applies, just like you are visiting any European or American city. May you have a happy (and safe!) Johor Bahru Hunt!
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Guiding Principles

1. If you are driving, the golden principle is to always lock your car doors (all 4 of them) the moment you and your passengers are in the car.

2. If you are parking your car for an extended duration (> 2 hours), use a steering lock. Amazon.com sells cheap steering locks that can be purchased here:

3. If you are still paranoid, it does not hurt to keep some self-defence weapon on the car.

4. Never leave any loose change or your valuables on dining tables, even if you intend to leave them just in front of you.

5. Do not sling your bags in a manner that can be easily snatched away.

6. Do not display valuables or carry yourself in a manner that looks like you have valuables on you.

7. Avoid deserted lanes and keep to main roads whenever possible at night. Drive in a convoy where possible.

Feel free to add your comment to my postings by visting the online forum.
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Entry Filed under: Crime and Safety, News and Information