Security woes in gated communities in Bangalore

The murder of a female techie in an apartment at JP Nagar took place in broad daylight when there was a security guard on job. In the recent past, there has been huge influx into apartments.

People prefer gated communities as they have strictly-controlled entrances. However, security concerns are now on the rise in these guarded houses, especially, after the Payal Surekha murder case.

This year alone, residential areas in the city have witnessed about 105 murders and 320 house-break thefts in broad daylight.

Apartments with over 100 flats have high security, but the ones with less than 30, are softer targets for criminals.

Software engineer Hari Prasad Shetty, who resides in Shantinikethan apartments in Hebbal, said, “We have round-the-clock security. But we see the guards being changed quite often. They cannot even differentiate between a resident and a visitor. If a visitor enters without stopping at the gate, they consider them as residents and do not question. Even the association members don’t take our complaints seriously.”

Prashanth S, a bank employee and a resident of National Games Village in Koramangala, said that though his apartment had raised compounds and placed additional window grills, fear continued among the residents. “Each block has a separate security guard, but robberies still happen in the apartment. We were shocked when the police arrested a man who was working as cook for burglary. He used to enter the flat through the window. At night he would rob off the valuables and exit through the main door.”

Many feel that the guards in apartments lack proper training. Although a full-fledged international level training institute has been set up in Karnataka, the government and private security agencies are not utilising its services.

Brigadier Subodh Kaul, director training, Indianeye Security, said that private security agencies were not giving proper training to the guards. “They don’t even know how to file an FIR or how to respond when there is an attack or a theft,” said Kaul.

He said that Indianeye Security was focusing on training the police and private security personnel, but anybody can get enrolled.

The city police, however, blamed the residents for not having cordial relationships with their neighbours as most of them remain to themselves. Joint commissioner Alok Kumar said, “We cannot screen everything happening within the four walls.”

An officer investigating in the Payal murder case said the neighbours were unaware of the happening in their next door. Even the security guard had little knowledge. “Even if they hear weird sounds, they don’t come out to check what’s happening. We questioned the neighbours who were of very minimal help.”