Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Crime prevention in shopping areas

With the Aadi discount sale in full swing and Deepavali season not too far, the City Police have begun their focus on stepping up security for shoppers, writes V.S. Palaniappan

Shoppers carrying huge cash and valuables on their person are thronging shopping areas in Coimbatore thanks to the Aadi discount sale already in full swing and the Navarathri and Deepavali festival season fast approaching.

People from rural areas around Coimbatore not familiar with plastic cards (credit cards), apart from carrying substantial cash, walk back home with jewellery and valuables.

Shopping areas are likely to become the target of small time offenders, bag-lifters, habitual chain snatchers, pocket-pickers, two-wheeler lifters and those known for resorting to the modus operandi of diversion of attention before robbing a person.

On instructions from the City Police Commissioner, Karan Singha, the Deputy Commissioners of Police, K. Shanmugavel (Law and Order) and P.C. Thenmozhi (Crime) are extra attention these shopping pockets by installation modern gadgets and deploymore personnel.

To begin with Cross Cut Road in Coimbatore has been turned into a fortress with at least 10 surveillance cameras hooked to the Close Circuit Television. These cameras cover the entire length and breadth of the busy Cross Cut Road shopping hub right from Gandhipuram signal to the end of the stretch.

Besides the CCTVs and cameras, public address systems are fitted throughout the stretch to alert the public about suspicious persons and alert the police personnel in civil dress and pickets to instantly react in the event of an offence or even an attempt, says K. Kumarasami, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Law and Order - Central). Police personnel man the CCTV and public address systems during peak hours from the police outpost set up near Lakshmi Complex.

Better and close vigil would deter criminals from operating freely. All the officers and personnel have been provided with photographs and a dossier of the habitual offenders and those at large to keep tabs on such offenders.

The CCTVs also help the police in keeping tabs on congestion and traffic snarls to effectively regulate the flow of traffic and also in streamlining the parking, Mr. Kumarasami added.

While the police walk an extra mile with every possible effort to ensure incident-free shopping experience, Mr. Singha said that the public participation and co-operation was of paramount importance. The public should stay alert and exercise vigil without attracting the eyes of the criminals. In the event of seeing suspicious persons, rather than keeping silent, the public should come forward and give a tip off to the police to ensure swift reaction. Such crime prevention measures are also coming up on DB Road and Oppanakkara Street, Mr. Singha said.

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