The city is pushing at its seams, but the police infrastructure is decades old.
Take for instance the Jnanabharati police station. Set up in 1975, the station catered to the student population at Bangalore University.
Now, the same set-up comprising nearly 80 police officials keep vigil over 7.5 sq. km area. The area was once a barren land. But now on it there are nine layouts of Nagarbhavi, parts of Nayandanahalli, and stretches till the Ramnagaram district border.
In the past four decades, two major roads – the Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway and the Outer Ring Road – have expanded, attracting its own brand of miscreants. This has resulted in nearly 500 cases recorded annually, which police officials there say is a task too difficult for the men.
“The university itself is more than 1,500 acres, and a team is posted there following recent cases of sexual assaults. Considering night beats, stationed policemen, among others, it is nearly impossible to effectively deal with cases here,” said a police official.
The “congestion” of police stations is seen across the city, it being acute in Mahadevpura, Madiwala, J.P. Nagar and Peenya. Currently, 152 police stations (including 42 traffic stations) cover an area of nearly 800sq. km and 80 lakh residents.
In raw terms, this translates to an average population of more than 77,000 citizens per police station.
Recognising the problem, the Police Department has proposed setting up of new police stations. Apart from Annapoorneshwari Nagar police station to bifurcate Jnanabharathi police station, the police have requested the State government for stations at Bagalagunte, Konankunte, KSRTC bus stand, Shanthinagar, Sunkadakatte, Kumbalgudu, Bommanahalli, among many other places. “Only around 15 stations are sanctioned yearly in the State budget, and our demands are in the list…These are now pending with State government,” City Police Commissioner M.N. Reddi said.
In the interim, he said opening of automated FIR kiosks – such as the one at Mantri Mall – at over 100 places in the city will ease the burden on existing police stations.
