KOLKATA: The unexpected Christmas crowd at Park Street-Alipore zoo stretch on the day of Christmas has led cops to redraw their basic strategies ahead of New Year’s Eve when an even larger crowd — given another extended weekend is round the corner — is expected to turn up. The police presence, hinted Lalbazar, will almost double and the number of senior officers on roads may also increase. Last year, there were six IPS officers in the zone on Christmas Day and 16 on New Year’s Eve. “Expect an almost similar deployment,” said an IPS officer at Lalbazar.
On Christmas Day this year, the cops ended up arresting 335 people for disorderly conduct alone. Merely, 35 were arrested on Christmas Eve. While the divisions carried out 327 arrests, the detective department officers posted at Park Street to nab the bigger offenders arrested eight persons. Twenty nine persons were prosecuted for spitting and 194 were prosecuted in the city for not wearing masks. About 46 litres of unaccounted for alcohol were also seized.
Before the Monday meetings, all police stations and traffic guards in and around Park Street and the watering holes of south suburban and central Kolkata have been asked to submit their reports. Taking a cue from the efficient crowd management during Durga Pujas, the police have decided to implement the same strategy for Park Street’s signature event. Even as the cops will turn Park Street into a pedestrian-only zone yet again on December 31, they have decided not to allow anyone to roam around and block the eatery entrances. For regular visitors, thus, the year-end festivities will feel more like pandal-hopping.
The cops will also continue their nakas every night. The move came after two cops at the Science City naka on Christmas evening chased and nabbed a snatcher for taking away valuables from a mother-daughter duo, who had taken the Parama island subway after a visit to Science City. The success came after a major drug haul earlier with cops saying the nakas are acting as a deterrent for criminals.
“The complainant, Manju Kundu (50), a resident of Baishnabghata, had come to Science City and returning home around 8.10pm when a snatcher took away a costly phone belonging to Kundu’s daughter. Sergeant P Debnath and assistant sub inspector TC Saha, who were on duty at the special naka, immediately gave a chase when they heard the shouts for help. They chased down the accused for several hundred metres and nabbed him. He was identified as Amit Hazra (35), a resident of Tangra. The phone was recovered, too,” said DC (East) Gaurav Lal.
The traffic-flow plan, however, is likely to be tweaked. “Given the amount of pressure on EM Bypass as people are travelling to Eco Park, Nicco Park and Science City, we are redrawing our morning plans,” claimed police. “We will be stressing on smooth pedestrian flow around Alipore zoo, Victoria Memorial, Park Circus, Exide crossing and Science City. Jaywalking has to be stopped. All traffic guards have been instructed accordingly,” said an IPS officer.
“We don’t plan to put too much pressure on JL Nehru Road. Vehicles towards Behala, Alipore and New Alipore may be told to use Red Road and Mayo Road from Esplanade and Dalhousie,” the officer said.