Vadodara: If you are planning to take vacations in Diwali, you can call up a nearby police station and inform the police about your plans so that the cops can patrol in your area. With Diwali around the corner, the cops have drawn an elaborate plan to ensure that the city doesn’t witness a spike in crimes like burglaries and loots.
The detection of crime branch (DCB) has formed several teams to monitor different areas, especially old city areas. “Usually, we have to deploy a lot of staff to patrol the city as most citizens take vacations during Diwali. But this time, people may not go out due to Covid-19 pandemic. Though, we are expecting that about half of those taking vacations every Diwali will go out this time too,” said Jaydeepsinh Jadeja, deputy commissioner of police (crime).
“So, we are not taking any chances. The history-sheeters involved in crimes like burglaries and loots are being monitored,” Jadeja told TOI.
The police are also keeping an eye on the illegal arms selling gangs in the city. According to the plans drawn by the cops, every police station has been asked to prepare a list of private finance firms, angadia firms, jewellery showrooms and banks in their areas.
“We have asked the teams to patrol these areas and be in contact with these firms and banks during Diwali. When these firms will be closed during Diwali, our teams will visit their premises once in a day every day,” said Jadeja.
A missive has been sent to private complexes and malls to ensure that their CCTVs are in working condition.
The cops will visit such public places over the next one week to check whether they have dedicated security guards and if their CCTVs are operational. “Our focus will also be on communally sensitive areas in the city where chances of skirmishes are high. It will be ensured that lighting crackers doesn’t create any issues in such localities,” said Jadeja.
A list of bootleggers in the city has also been prepared and the cops plan to pick them up over the next couple of days. “We have asked all the hotels to keep a list of their guests with their complete details,” Jadeja added.