The interactive meeting which law enforcers had with jewellers and pawn brokers in the city recently was a conscious effort to sensitise them to the ways of helping police in preventing crimes.
The hour-long meeting was used by the men in khaki to drive home to the jewellers and pawn brokers the security-related measures they need to put in place in their respective commercial establishments to thwart offences.
Organised by law enforcers of the Fort Range, the meeting presided over by Assistant Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) G. Stalin and attended by the Inspectors of Fort, Gandhi Market, and Palakkarai police station, saw the participation of around 70 jewellery shop owners and pawn brokers.
The law enforcers endeavour to organise a sensitisation meeting was keeping in mind the fact that the maximum number of jewellery and pawn broker shops in the city falls under the Fort Range. Police sources say the Fort Range accounts for about 300 jewellery shops and over 50 pawn broker shops.
A host of security-related measures were put forth by the law enforcers to the jewellers and pawn brokers during the course of the meeting. The jewellers and pawn brokers were advised to put in place surveillance cameras-based closed circuit television system equipped with 15 days recording facility in their establishments.
The participants were also advised to install burglar alarms in their respective establishments; deposit jewellery in strong rooms and desist from keeping cash and mortgaged jewellery in the shops. The jewellers were asked to ensure that the lockers were strong and worked properly and not to have any ventilators in their shops as they were vulnerable points.
While suggesting to the participants to nominate a watchman to cover two to three shops at night, law enforcers said they would provide necessary training to the watchmen. The sensitisation exercise was essentially meant to drive home the importance of having in place certain security measures, a senior officer said adding that it was also to seek the cooperation of the jewellers and pawn brokers to help the police in preventing crimes.
While agreeing with some of the suggestions put forth by the law enforcers, the participants sought some time to accomplish them, the officer added.
