The City police have initiated a crackdown on armed gangs that upend peace in the district.
A spree of gang violence had prompted the clampdown. It entailed the proactive execution of pending arrest warrants, examining the whereabouts of convicted persons on parole, and widespread raids for persons wanted in criminal cases.
So far, the police have arrested 220 wanted persons and executed 403 arrest warrants. An official said most of the arrested persons were youngsters who appeared motivated by notions of masculinity and gang loyalty.
Many did odd jobs for a living and were invariably school or college dropouts hailing from working-class families. Some profited as muscle for hire.
He said persons involved in environmental crime, particularly illegal river sand mining, hired the youth to settle scores with their rivals and other unlawful purposes. Loan sharks have found a helpful tool in gangs to intimidate persons who default on their mortgage payments. So have the real estate mafia. Alleged police corruption had also helped the gangs.
The City police had drawn fire for the recent spree of crimes in the capital.
The latest was the gangland-related murder of a youth at his house in Pothencode. The assailants had stormed their victim’s house and lobbed off his leg.
A grainy surveillance camera capture of the gang’s make off with the severed leg and holding it like a war trophy had shocked the citizenry and triggered a sense of insecurity in the community.
The quivery images disseminated on local television provided the police with a smoking gun. However, the question remained why the police had not acted on a simmering local feud that threatened to erupt into violence.
Opposition
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan and a ruling front Minister criticised the alleged police inaction and said criminals appeared to have blindsided the police.
Alcohol abuse-fuelled violence has also registered a rise in the city. On December 20 at Balaramapuram, an allegedly intoxicated gang smashed the windscreens of over 13 vehicles parked on the roadside.
An official said wayside eateries that remain open into the early hours were a magnet for gangs.
Trivial disputes often trigger a long-standing gang feud characterised by tit-for-tat attacks.
Following the back-to-back COVID-19 lockdowns, the street presence of the police during night hours has arguably diminished. So have night vehicle checks and anti-drug enforcement.
Surveillance camera coverage of the city was patchy. Several cameras reportedly required replacement. An official said a comprehensive scheme to bring the entire capital under camera surveillance was under way.
The system would act as a force multiplier and help the police streamline the deployment of officers. Moreover, cameras could instil confidence in citizens, particularly families and women travelling at odd hours.
