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[Yukimura Sanada]

Sengkang residents team up with police against loansharks
By Evelyn Lam/Lynda Hong | Posted: 06 June 2010 2338 hrs
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SINGAPORE: Residents of Sengkang are banding together with the police to get more teeth against 'sharks'. 35 residents already agreed to be the eyes and ears of the estate against loansharking activities.

The project by Punggol East Grassroots Organisations and Sengkang Neighbourhood Police is called Rivervale Against Sharks. To reinforce the watch against crime in their homes, the Punggol East grassroots bodies will also raise funds to install mobile CCTVs in the neighbourhood.

Islandwide, 18,000 cases of harassment by loansharks were reported last year, up 60 per cent from 2008. And Rivervale has not been spared.

Raymond Lye, chairman of Punggol East Citizens' Consultative Committee, said: "As with many estates in Singapore, Rivervale also experiences complaints of loanshark harassment. There are repeat cases of loanshark harassment, that is the loan shark comes back again and again to the same block.

"The police have tried very hard to contain the problem. But we understand as grassroots leaders and as residents that it's not possible for the police to be there 24/7 at the scene of the crime."

- CNA/ir