Phnom Penh municipal governor Khuong Sreng during a virtual meeting with relevant authorities on December 20. CITY HALL
Phnom Penh municipal governor Khuong Sreng urged law enforcement authorities in the capital’s 14 districts to bolster security and safeguard public order now that the government has reopened all sectors of the economy and as the New Year holiday approaches.
Sreng gave the instruction during a virtual meeting with relevant authorities on December 20.
“Illegal activities and various crimes will always occur no matter what year. Holidays bring all kinds of gambling and public order issues, for example. So we need all security forces and district authorities to beef up their presence and crack down on serious crimes such as theft, robbery, drugs and gambling to ensure the safety and security of the people,” he said.
The governor also told district authorities and the municipal Department of Public Works and Transport to inspect locations that have persistent traffic jams in order to solve the problems there or report back on the situation to the municipal hall.
“During the New Year, people go out at night and celebrate and it always causes traffic jams in some areas. There is also an increase in drunk driving, do the authorities must try to ease the flow of traffic for everyone and focus on safety so that everyone can have a happy new year,” he said.
The meeting was attended by municipal police chief Sar Thet, who reported that the police will deploy a total of 1,165 officers to secure the capital and manage traffic that evening.
Boeung Keng Kang district governor Thim Sam An told The Post that he would deploy increased security forces for a 24-hour period to protect the safety of the people and facilitate traffic.
“In general, my team is on duty 24 hours a day and responding whenever there is a report from anyone regarding disturbances of the peace or any kind of incident. On average, they take just 15 minutes to reach the scene,” he said.
Sam An said crimes such as thefts, violence or traffic accidents were rare in his district and the most frequently reported incidents were about noisy businesses like bars, restaurants or nightclubs that stay open very late and disturb the local residents.
