Police Patrol: The policeman’s guide to crisis control on streets

An elaborate mechanism involving many departments is in place to anticipate and contain a breakdown in law and order

A disruption of law and order on the streets can frighten residents in addition to affecting business and causing traffic logjams.

How do police personnel, who are often in the thick of the situation and are responsible for containing the developing crisis, deal with it?

The intelligence section is the backbone of the Chennai City Police as it is of any police force across the globe.

It forecasts possible law and order crises. Some of the forecasts may or may not be precise and sometimes, the section misses out on warning about impending crises.

A classic example is section’s inability to predict the incidents near the U.S. consulate in the city in September 2012, following a controversy over the film Innocence of Muslims .

During a crisis situation in Chennai, the seven police control rooms, including the one dedicated to the Intelligence section, go on a war footing.

Sector beats (motorcycle police patrols) are often the first to arrive the crisis spot. These are followed by station patrols (jeeps and MUVs) after a distress call is received by the control room.

If the situation warrants reinforcements, additional police personnel from the 403 sector beats, 180 patrols and 20 special patrols led by senior police officers are deployed to prevent the situation from escalating.

On June 19, 2014, the funeral procession of murdered Hindu Munnani leader S. Suresh Kumar turned violent with members of the outfit going on a rampage damaging buses and desecrating a church enroute.

Traffic was thrown out of gear for a few hours on Poonamallee High Road and adjoining stretches after protestors clashed with police and the latter resorted to a lathi charge.