The beat patrol system introduced by the Chennai City Police has been of help in preventing smaller thefts and crimes, sources say.
A senior official said the patrolling system deploying two-wheelers and four-wheelers, introduced one month ago, has led to a decline in crime. Moreover, policemen involved in the beat patrol have been visiting the houses of elderly people and this has given them a sense of protection, he added.
V. Rajagopal, a 62-year-old resident of TVS Colony in Anna Nagar West Extension, said that the visits by beat officers were extremely helpful for elderly persons like him. He said the regular checking of locked houses by the beat officers has also prevented thefts.
Each area under the jurisdiction of the 135 police stations in the city has been divided into three sectors covering residential as well as commercial establishments. Three two-wheeler beat vehicles patrol three sectors covering 10 points each in three shifts. Similarly a four-wheeler patrol vehicle polices 10 places in three shifts that are not covered by the beat vehicles, with an additional patrol going around the areas in three shifts.
The inspector of the police station and the assistant commissioner of the range make random checks of the worksheets submitted by the various patrol teams, he added.
The senior official pointed out that the beat patrol has received positive feedback from the public.
He said the intention behind the patrolling scheme was to increase the confidence of the people in the force. This helps in keeping criminals at bay too, he added.
