The police have launched a night patrolling drive to curb road accidents as well as thefts and other crimes in the city.
An exclusive control room has been set up with an Assistant Commissioner and two Circle Inspectors manning it. About 150 police personnel will be on duty from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
“The purpose is to prevent accidents and thefts, and also keeping tabs on anti-social elements and those mischiefmakers trying to foment communal tensions,” P.B. Rajeev, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), told the media here on Tuesday.
Twenty car patrols and 15 bike patrols would be part of the drive. Beat policing would be stepped up at specific spots such as ATMs kiosks and places of worship. In spite of the staff shortage, vehicle checking would also be intensified, he said.
Following a directive by the DGP (North Zone) Rajesh Dewan, the police had identified four places for setting up temporary border check-posts to prevent smuggling of explosives, weapons, currencies and liquor, the DCP said.
The police had also begun to focus on pending arrest warrants. The night patrolling had already helped to arrest 28 persons involved in several cases. Cooperation of residents’ associations was vital in implementing the arrest warrants, Mr. Rajeev said.
Special team
Regarding a theft at a temple recently, the DCP said a special team led by the Medical College Circle Inspector was investigating the case. Details of the mobiles that come under the location tower were being traced. The probe was being centred on some suspects who had been on leave during Vishu, he said.
He said that a case had been registered against a lorry driver hailing from Himachal Pradesh under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code for injuring several people after rash driving. It was also found that the driver was in an inebriated state, he said.
