Real time monitoring of beat patrolling especially on two-wheelers by police personnel in Vellore has begun with 42 patrol bikes fitted with GPS system to provide live feed to the control room at the Superintendent of Police (SP) office round-the-clock.
The initiative by the district police comes in the wake of a woman doctor hailing from Bihar allegedly gang-raped by three persons including two juveniles, while two co-accused held her male colleague, past midnight in Vellore on March 16. All five persons have been arrested. The issue echoed in the Legislative Assembly prompting Chief Minister M. K. Stalin to assure the House that action had been taken and the guilty would be punished.
“Earlier, I had to get the reports from my subordinates. Now, with the GPS fitted vehicles, I can monitor them [beat policemen] from my mobile phone anywhere round-the-clock. It helps to take swift action,” S. Rajesh Kannan, SP (Vellore), told The Hindu. Currently, 75 two-wheelers, including 17 pink vehicles (women patrol vehicles) are in use for regular patrolling of key spots like Green Circle, Katpadi, border areas, highways, Vellore fort and hilly terrain along Jawadhu Hills. Among these bikes, initially 42 patrol bikes were fitted with a GPS system covering key spots in the district. The beat police personnel including women constables will be monitored by a special police team at the district police headquarters. . Under the new initiative, police can have real time data including time spent at each spot by the beat constable, route taken, area covered within specified time and speed taken to reach each spot. Meanwhile, a probe team led by Additional SP Sundaramurthy, has been assigned to investigate on the leaked audio clip circulated on social media where a person suspected to be a sand smuggler, Puncture Mani, a resident in Salavanpettai near Vellore Old Town, is heard seeking help from officers of the special police team to get back his vehicle that he used to smuggle sand. The suspect was arrested when he was returning with smuggled sand by Bagayam police recently. “The issue is being probed. If found guilty, necessary action will be taken,” Mr. Rajesh Kannan said.
