Chennai police form crime prevention teams

Chennai: With weekend chain and mobile phone snatchers on the prowl in the city staging a spate of robberies, the Greater Chennai Police has formed 'crime prevention teams' to scour the metropolis every night in shifts.

According to an order issued by city police commissioner A.K. Viswanathan, two crime prevention teams would be formed for each police district and the team would perform night rounds and patrol in two shifts. The first shift would start at 10 pm and end at 4 am; whereas second shift would start at 4 am and end at 8 am.

It has been proposed that the new patrolling system would be in place till the end of the month and an extension would be considered according to how successful it turns out, sources said.

“This new patrolling team is not a replacement of the prevailing patrolling system. With teams formed based on shifts, the patrolling strength in the city has been doubled,” H.M. Jayaram, additional commissioner of police (North) told DC.

Several questions had cropped up about the law and order situation in the city following increasing number of incidents of phone and gold chain snatchings, especially over weekends. On May 26, five chain-snatching incidents were reported from various parts of the city within a span of two hours.

Also on June 7, three such incidents were reported in hours. But what turned out to be a wake-up call to the police department was a string of 15 snatching and robbery incidents reported across the city last Sunday night.

“The crime prevention team will conduct vehicle checks, execute non-bailable warrants and prevent bike races, apart from other functions,” Jayaram added. Frequent occurrences of drag bike races in major stretches of city roads had also burdened the police with an ordeal each night.

According to the order, each crime prevention team would consist of one assistant commissioner or additional deputy commissioner, one inspector, three sub-inspectors, six local head constables or constables and 3 armed reserve personnel. Viswanathan also made deputy commissioners as the supervisory officers of the crime prevention teams.

564 held on day 2 of storming operation

A day after the city police detained 3,027 persons including 1,125 history-sheeters, the police arrested 564 persons during the second day of storming operation on Tuesday night.

The storming operation was conducted following reports of 15 cases of robberies and chain snatchings on Sunday night. “During the storming operation on Tuesday night, 442 persons were detained on suspicion, while 20 accused, slapped with non-bailable warrants, were arrested,” a police statement said.

Meanwhile, seven absconding accused were arrested. 95 persons were arrested under 109 and 110 sections of CrPC. “During the operation, 53 persons were held for drunken driving,” the statement added.