Carry rifles all time, top cop tells his men in Begaluru

BENGALURU: City Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar has asked night duty personnel to carry their service rifles with them at all times, following a string of attacks targeting on-duty police personnel across the city over the past few weeks. In sensitive areas or in places with no lighting, Kumar asked for a doubling of the beat strength and instructed four constables to patrol together and stay in touch with the police control room, the jurisdictional police station and the nearby Hoysala patrol vehicles.

Over the last few weeks, constables on night beat have been targeted in Kodigehalli, Jagjeevanram Nagar, Jeevan Bima Nagar, Cubbon Park, Banaswadi and K G Halli limits. Kumar has asked his staff to fire without hesitation if they face any attacks. “It seems like there is no security for a policeman who is deputed to guard the public,” he said on Saturday.  On the case in which a gang snatched a service rifle from two constables in Kodigehalli, Kumar said a special team has been formed to nab them. He has instructed policemen on night rounds to carry weapons to protect themselves, he said.