BENGALURU: In a novel way to get to know policemen in their area better, residents of the Karnataka State Financial Corporation (KSFC) Layout, chose to take a walk with the cops in their area on Tuesday evening.

Residents and members of the resident welfare association took a 1 km walk through the layout, starting from Deepa Bakery on Oil Mill Road and were accompanied by HM Mahadevappa, the Assistant Commissioner of Police for Banaswadi. The walk aimed at ensuring awareness about safety hazards in the area faced by residents.

CE joined the walk and spoke to residents who said that there were several issues in the area for a decade. “Many criminal activities go on in this area and even walking in the afternoon can be a threat. Young boys come on bikes and harass pedestrians,” said Jayaseelan, President of the KSFC Layout Residents Welfare Association.

Burglaries are also a common problem, residents told the police. “My daughter was walking on the street when a car stopped and tried to get her into the vehicle,” narrated another member. Another member Sunita Raghav,  stated that several members of a slum located next to a cemetery near to her house would often drink in public and leave empty bottles lying on the road. “It has become difficult to step out of the house,” Sunita said.

Residents expressed their willingness to join hands with the department to deal with these issues plaguing the area. Speaking to City Express, Mahadevappa said, “I am well aware of the situation. It has been seven months that I have been posted here and I have caught many people performing illegal activities. We are continuously nabbing criminals even if it means we have to chase them and challenge them. I even make it a point to ride in an auto in civil dress to catch troublemakers. It is great that people want to come forward to make this a better place to live,” he said.