Chennai has been rated one of the safest cities for women, going by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics. However, in the wake of the attack on a woman techie in Pallikaranai on Tuesday, experts feel that a lot more needs to be done on this front. The assault on Lavanya Jangath took place days after robbers snatched the chains of two women in public view.
Experts feel more than patrolling, a coordinated effort between government departments, companies and the community is needed. “Firms should ensure their staff reach home safely even if they are using their own modes of transport. The local administration should provide good illumination on the roads,” said Prasanna Gettu, founder, International Foundation for Crime Prevention and Victim Care. She advocated the concept of crime prevention through environmental design. “It is a strategy which outlines how physical environments can be designed in order to lessen the opportunity for crime,” she said.
Lawyer Sudha Ramalingam said Chennai is slowly losing the ‘safe-city’ tag due to economic crimes. “Residents’ groups should be formed to assist the police in patrolling,” she said.
M. Priyamvadha, assistant professor, Department of Criminology, University of Madras, said the punishment for crimes such as chain snatching should be increased.