Fifteen owners of business premises and private companies here inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to participate in the Royal Malaysian Police's Safe Camera (SafeCam) Programme to combat crime in Alor Gajah.

Alor Gajah police chief Supt Umar Ali Saifuddin Shaharudin said under the programme, owners of the premises would give access of their closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to the police.

"Through the commitment and participation of the business community, I'm sure the programme will benefit the police, owners of the premises and the local people as a whole, in a bid to reduce crime rates in the district," he told reporters after the signing of the MoU here today.

He said the MoU was the first to be signed in Melaka.

The police will also carry out frequent patrol around the premises involved, besides monitoring the footage from the CCTV cameras of SafeCam members from time to time, he added.