In a bid to reduce crime in some railway stations in the city’s peripheral areas, the Government Railway Police (GRP) has set up an outpost at the Ponneri Railway Station on Thursday.
Though there is a good police presence at important railway stations such as Chennai Central, Egmore, Arakonnam, Perambur, Tambaram and Avadi, there are skeletal or no personnel posted in the smaller stations. From Thursday, a total of 10 policemen have been posted at Ponneri, Minjur and Gummidipoondi railway stations. They will patrol stations between Minjur and Arambakkam on the Andhra Pradesh border to prevent crime. They will be aided by the personnel from the Railway Protection Force (RPF).
“Stations in these areas are in a state of neglect. There are no basic facilities, including toilets, at these stations. We have been receiving complaints about occurrence of crime in these stations,” said C. Sylendra Babu, Additional Director-General of Police (ADGP) Railways. He said that there have been complaints about thieves hopping in when the train, including those from Kolkatta and Andhra Pradesh, slows down on this stretch. “They snatch chains and phones and flee from the spot. The police personnel on this stretch have been asked to crackdown on such crimes,” said a GRP officer.
More strength to GRP
Meanwhile, in the coming weeks, 70 personnel, who recently completed their training, will be added to the GRP. “As of now most stations are managing with skeletal strength,” added the officer.
Passengers demand that one policeman be posted in every station. “The criminals know about the stations where police presence is there. Hence, they alight at these stations and escape,” said K.S. Gopalakrishnan, former Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee member. He said that there was an urgent need to install CCTV cameras.