Following a complaint received on WhatsApp, the Abhiramapuram police swooped down on Jeth Nagar First Cross Street and removed a cab driver who had converted a small portion of the stretch into a parking area.
Ravi Nandyala, a member of Jeth Nagar Residents Association, had posted the message on the WhatsApp group created by the police.
“Action was taken in just an hour,” says Ravi, impressed that the police had moved like greased lightning.
“I had warned the cabbie many a time as he was blocking the traffic in our street,” he explains.
Not just Ravi, many other residents of Jeth Nagar believe such complaints posted on this WhatsApp group are attended to swiftly.
“The number of cars parked in Jeth Nagar has decreased drastically. Police personnel manning the local booths have become more regular,” says Ravi.
It is less than a month since the Chennai Traffic Police asked members of residents welfare associations to create WhatsApp groups with them, and the move seems abundantly justified.
With the active participation of residents welfare associations and NGOs, the police seem to be solving many cases related to traffic violations and crime.
In the Mylapore police jurisdiction, the WhatsApp group has representatives from law and order, crime, traffic and also beat officers.
“We have seven such groups, one for each of the police stations coming under the Mylapore jurisdiction,” says Balakrishnan V., Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and order), Mylapore.
The group has key members from resident welfare associations who post messages drawing attention to problems that call for police intervention. “Next, we plan to include traders, senior citizens and representatives of hospitals, schools and colleges in these groups. The objective of this initiative is to have a constant and active communication line with the public. This concept will be extended to the entire city; that is something that we are working on,” says Balakrishnan. Another advantage is that it spares the residents the trouble of visiting the nearest police station and lodging a complaint, he says. “A stigma has always been attached to this practice. Now, residents are able to quickly notify us about the problem with photographs as evidence. And also, as higher officials like the ACP and myself are in all the seven Whatsapp groups, problems get solved much faster,” he adds.
Drunken brawls, parking of tourist vehicles and unclaimed vehicles, illegal activities that are being carried out at abandoned construction sites and petty crime are some of the most commonly reported issues.
This initiative has made it easier for police to locate anti-social elements.
“This bridges the communication gap between the public and the police,” says Bala, a member of the Thiruveedhi Amman Kovil Street Residents Association (TAKSRA).
Residents of Abhiramapuram and parts of Mylapore are reportedly the most active when it comes to collaborating with the police.
“I find this concept to be extremely useful. Issues shared on the group are sorted out within a day,” says R. Chandrasekhar, president of RA Puram Residents Association.
One of the biggest achievements so far, residents say, was getting unclaimed vehicles and call taxis on Sringeri Mutt road removed.
With vehicles parked on either side, the road now sports a clean look. Also, information regarding senior citizens who live alone and other details of tenants are being collected by the police.
“It takes two to three days to reach the inspector under the appropriate department depending on the nature of the problem. Now, through such platforms, we become aware of the problem right away,” says Alexander, E-4 Abhiramapuram inspector.
