Every time K. Karthik passes through Raju Street, a road off Rajiv Gandhi Salai that leads to Kannagi Nagar, the image of a brand-new iPhone 7 flashes before his eyes, bringing with it a deep sense of disappointment.
On this road, four months ago, while on a morning walk, Karthik became a victim of cellphone-snatching. Karthik had proudly taken the wraps off the iPhone 7 only a few days ago, and it went out of his life, just like that.
He lodged a complaint with the Thoraipakkam police, but was not lucky to get his mobile.
If that is any consolation, Karthik now notices a new police booth at the exact point where he lost his mobile. At least, others won’t lose their cellphones in this manner.
The booth would have four CCTV cameras watching over the area.
“I hope no more thefts happen here; the CCTV cameras should ensure better surveillance,” says Karthik, a resident of Annai Indira Nagar in Okkiam Thoraipakkam.
In other parts of the city, police booths are a point of focus.
If it has not happened already in your neck of the woods, the red-and-white-coloured police booth at the end of your street is getting sophisticated with CCTV cameras and a monitor control room.
While the police are doing this in some localities, there are also cases of residents doing this in theirs.
Residents join hands
Residents of Anna Enclave in Injambakkam are waiting for the ribbon-cutting ceremony that will signal the formal inauguration of their police booth. The booth came up based on their request. They have paid towards its construction, pooling over ₹50,000.
“The police would be installing cameras and also have men in uniform patrolling our streets,” says Kamal Kannan, a resident of Anna Enclave, adding that the facility will serve residents of the gated community as well as those taking the East Coast Road.
For the last three weeks, a new police booth has been lying on the pavement at the M.G. Road junction on L.B. Road. According to J6 police station, the booth will find a permanent place after some technical glitches in it are fixed.
“We have installed 28 cameras on eight poles from Indira Nagar water tank to MG Road junction to improve surveillance in the locality. A makeshift control room has been set up at a hospital, for these CCTV cameras. Once, a few technical issues are taken care of, the police booth will serve as the permanent control room,” says Krishnan Jayaseelan, inspector J6 Thiruvanmiyur police station.
A unit of the Butterfly company, located close by, and ACT are among the sponsors for the facility.
Residents of Elcot Avenue in Shollinganallur and Gandhi Nagar Second Main Road in Adyar have made a request to the local police for a police booth in their locality.
“I don’t think they would set up another booth on Second Main Road as Third Main Road already has one,” says Kangai Narasimhan, a senior resident of the area.
