Adopting a more scientific approach to patrolling, the Chennai police have started a crime hot-spotting exercise in different parts of the city.
The initiative is aimed at creating a ‘crime map’ of the city that will show the police what to expect when and where. This knowledge, the police say, will help them take preventive steps.
Based on the crime map, a decision about the deployment of manpower on jurisdiction-based beats will be taken. There are around 136 stations in the city, over 252 patrol vehicles and 403 two-wheelers to go around each jurisdiction on a shift basis.
Earlier, the policemen used to be deployed randomly on patrol duty. “In a particular area, if there are more number of crimes in the afternoon, we will deploy more people during that time,” said a senior police officer, adding that based on new inputs, the crime map would undergo changes and so would the patrolling.
All Deputy Commissioners have been asked to carry out the exercise in areas that come under their jurisdiction.
In some areas, the mapping has been completed and preventive measures, including enhanced patrolling, are being put in place.
“For example, in Mylapore, there are around seven active police stations. Motorcycle thefts used to be reported frequently on the service lane opposite Vivekanandar Illam in the afternoon. Hence, more beat officers are deployed between noon and 3 p.m. and not in the morning,” said a police officer.
Similarly in T. Nagar, which has around 11 police stations, the mapping has been done and beat officers are deployed on the basis of the findings.
At Flower Bazaar too, the exercise has been completed. “There are more commercial establishments than houses in the locality. Hence, we have studied the trend and are fixing CCTV cameras in important localities,” a police officer said.
A senior police officer said that this would also save manpower considerably.
Beat officers have asked all residents to inform the local police station if they are going out of station.
Meanwhile, residents say crime happens during the day too and most offenders are well-dressed when they approach victims.
