On the ground: Comm Mohd Shuhaily (left) speaking to reporters after the closing ceremony for a behavioural science course held at the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) College. — ONG SOON HIN/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: The recently formed Behavioural Science Unit (BSU) under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will tackle complex crimes comprehensively and hope to learn new skills from one of the best known in the world, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), says Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain.
The Bukit Aman CID director said the BSU, which is led by the Sexual, Women and Child Investigations Division (D11), is staffed by certified psychologists and an officer who is pursuing a PhD in psychology.
“It also consists of officers from other CID divisions.
“We want our officers to have the capabilities of criminal profilers,” he told reporters after the closing of a behavioural science course at the Royal Malaysia Police College yesterday.
Comm Mohd Shuhaily said there had been a spate of very serious crime cases, including murders, lately.
“A majority of the cases had one common factor: the victims knew the suspects either through familial ties or friendship.
“Personal conflict caused some of the cases, while business disagreement caused others,” he said.
In Malaysia, random murder cases rarely occur, he noted.
“For example, robbery turned murder. Such acts do occur but are comparatively fewer than other murder cases,” he added.
In the context of BSU, Comm Mohd Shuhaily said the unit is tasked with identifying factors and the dynamics of a crime.
“It will then refer its findings to policymakers to enable better policies to be introduced,” he said.
On the behavioural science course, Comm Mohd Shuhaily said the training was jointly organised by the CID and FBI to provide BSU officers with new skills.
“Given the complexity of crimes, our officers need this kind of training to conduct more in-depth analyses of crimes.
“The BSU will require various elements, including psychology, forensics and investigation, to produce high-quality probes,” he said.
Comm Mohd Shuhaily said 24 CID officers participated in the three-day course, which involved two instructors from the FBI.
“The FBI formed its own BSU back in 1972, so there is a lot for us to learn from them. We hope the BSU will provide profiling of individuals involved in complex crimes,” he said.
On another matter, Comm Mohd Shuhaily reaffirmed that the majority of missing-person cases involve teenagers who fled their homes due to peer pressure.
“However, the CID will never close a missing-person case or investigation before the person is located.
“As previously stated by the Inspector-General of Police and the Home Minister, missing-person cases are still under control.
“However, I stress that the public does not have to wait 14 hours to lodge a missing-person report.
“If family members or friends are missing, report the matter as soon as possible,” he said.
Comm Mohd Shuhaily said he has instructed all CID officers to act fast, especially when children are involved.
“The first 30 minutes are crucial; within that time, anything can happen, so we have to act quickly,” he said.
Comm Mohd Shuhaily also commended the Johor police, especially the state CID, for successfully rescuing kidnapped six-year-old Albertine Leo Jia Hui at a budget hotel in Batang Kali, Selangor, on July 23.
She was reported missing during a Japanese cultural festival at Eco Galleria in Johor on July 21.
