The recent spate of house break-ins and burglaries has raised much concern among city residents. Residents associations have begun to air complaints about night-time patrolling by the city police.
Former general secretary of the Federation of Residents’ Associations Thiruvananthapuram (FRAT) M.S. Venugopal says beat policing is ineffective at Edappazhinji, Sreekaryam, Kariyam, Powdikonam, Nalanchira and areas near Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram.
While the police officers on night patrol are required to note down details of their visits in the beat books kept at convenient points along their routes, the practice is not being complied with in many places, he alleged.
Similar complaints were raised by the representatives of a few residents associations at the recent Maithri meeting convened by the District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram City) P. Prakash. They claimed that while areas by major roads were placed under constant surveillance, the interior parts were often neglected.
Senior police officials, however, maintained that no efforts were being spared to ensure effective night patrolling. Pointing out that the beat policing mechanism was being constantly monitored, an official said the location of patrol vehicles could be traced any time since they were equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking devices.
CCTV cameras
The FRAT has also reiterated its demand for strengthening the surveillance network by installing CCTV cameras at each junction.
Besides seeking the support of merchants’ associations, the police could rope in the Corporation for the endeavour.
Many residents associations have expressed willingness to shoulder one-third of the cost of installing cameras, sources said.
They claimed that the initiative would help address the issue of littering, besides providing security for houses and commercial establishments.