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ShareDeputy commissioner of police (south-east division) BNS Reddy speaks to DNA on problems faced by the public, besides steps taken to tackle offences such as attention diversion, chain-snatching, vehicle theft and robbery.
What should the public do to avoid falling prey to attention diverters, especially whilewithdrawing money from banks and ATM machines?
The number of attention diversion cases has come down in South-East Bangalore because the people have become more alert on the police's insistence. The numerous educational programmes conducted for the benefit of bank staffers and the public have left criminals at a loss for strategies. The public has been told to inform banks a day in advance, if they are going to withdraw a large amount of cash. This way, the banks ensure that they don't collect it from the cash counter, where everybody gets to see the transaction happening, but from the strong room.
Bank customers have also been told to carry away the cash in proper boxes, not polythene bags, and ensure that they bring a two-wheeler or four-wheeler along for added security. They should also head directly for their destination after withdrawing the money, instead of stopping en route where they can be targeted by attention diverters. And if a person is travelling with money from one place to another, where they intend to spend or give it away, he should make use of an ATM closest to his destination to reduce the risk of getting robbed. We have asked banks to make security guards accompany customers to their vehicles if they have withdrawn huge sums of money, and offer them escorts if necessary. We have also suggested that armed guards be employed at banks for the safety of customers and their belongings. Constant public education and campaigns have led to a 30-40% reduction in attention diversion cases. The public should also avoid talking to strangers after withdrawing money from ATMs.
What is the crime rate in the South-East division? Has the rate of heinous crimes gone up or come down?
On an average, the crime rate has definitely come down. In 2008, the city recorded a total of 6,500 offences, while the number is only 5,500 for 2009 - till date. The number of heinous crimes has also come down. While there were 480 such cases in 2008, the number has not crossed 350 this year. However, there has been a definite increase in cheating cases, especially job rackets involving software firms.
What precautions have the public taken against chain-snatchers?
Though chain-snatching was a big menace across the city until the last month, it has now come down due to the stepping-up of beat policing. All police personnel have been asked to keep a constant check on parks in the morning and evening, and instruct potential victims to be cautious. The police have to get under the skin of these criminals and understand their modus operandi to function more effectively. Also, it would be of great help if women start wearing imitation jewellery or gold-plated ornaments because this will discourage chain-snatchers and robbers in the long run. Women wearing costly jewellery should refrain from walking on the road, and instead ensure that they remain on pavements and footpaths.
There has been a definite increase in the crime rate recently. What can the public do to prevent it from rising further?
The economic slump that hit the country a year ago has contributed a lot to the increase in crime rate across the state and city. This is a well-established fact. Particularly affected by this was the construction industry, which is responsible for employing lakhs of people. In South-East Bangalore, where major real estate players and developers are concentrating on huge projects, the recession brought the flow of money to a complete standstill. As many as five lakh construction workers, most of whom hailed from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, were rendered unemployed - resulting in their getting into petty crimes. This could be one of the main reasons for the increase in chain-snatching cases. We have also noted that gangs coming from West Bengal are actually Bangladeshi nationals who have infiltrated into the country. Hence, the public should exercise the utmost caution before employing labourers, and check their background thoroughly. This is also applicable to security guards, domestic servants and others.
Has the 11.30 pm deadline for restaurants brought down crime in the city?
Earlier, many restaurants, including Empire, Imperial and Paramount, used to remain open till 3 am. However, crimes have reduced drastically ever since we enforced the 11.30 pm deadline. Now, we don't have customers creating a nuisance on the streets by playing blaring music, honking and even blocking roads due to these establishments. The number of road accidents has also come down as people return home early and in a sober condition.
What are the police doing to curb two-wheeler thefts?
Vehicle theft is the most common crime in the city, and it rises with each passing year. This is inevitable in some cases as people are finding it increasingly difficult to find parking space for their vehicles, resulting in them being parked in front of their residences. Two-wheelers are particularly easy to unlock and lift. Because of an extreme shortage in manpower, it has become difficult for the police to check every single bylane for instances of two-wheeler thefts. Through a special drive we started a month ago, we intend to deploy policemen at exit points - which are mostly roads leading to highways and other states. We have also set up 'nakabandi' points, where at least 600 to 800 vehicles are checked on a daily basis.
In the past, there have been many incidents of cab drivers being victimised by hitch-hikers. How are the police monitoring the situation?
Over the last 12 to 18 months, the police have been insisting that the logistics department of software firms and travel agencies monitor the movement of their employees. Cab drivers started getting victimised after they made a habit of transporting pedestrians after their actual duty hours. This, quite understandably, led to many of them getting mugged by anti-social elements. We have asked the companies to ensure that their cab drivers do not offer lifts to pedestrians, and always keep a check on fuel usage to arrest the possibility of untoward incidents. This movehas drastically reduced such occurrences.
