The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : One step ahead of the law?

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Saturday, Sep 23, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

One step ahead of the law?

Even small-time offenders are getting smarter, and appear to be better organised than the police, says L. Srikrishna

A close look at the complaints received by police stations in Chennai city — subsequently reported in the media — gives the impression that law breakers are smarter and better organised than the law enforcers.

Whether it is the seizure of rocket shells, or job scams, or chain snatching cases or house break-ins, criminals seem to be getting smarter.

There seems to be professional touch to many crimes with technology coming in handy for the criminals, a police officer said, admitting off the record that the police are baffled by the increasing sophistication shown.

One police officer pointed out that a 22-year-old youth had been snatching chains with near impunity in Avadi Tank Factory police station limits in Ambattur police district for nearly 10 months.

The criminal's run crime spree ended only when a woman complained to a patrolling Sub-Inspector of Police and a constable that an unidentified man had snatched her chain.

After a hot chase, the youth was nabbed. His confession came as a rude shock to the custodians of law.

The young man was an engineering graduate and lived with his mother in a housing board colony flat in Avadi area.

Riding a two-wheeler, the youth wore a helmet when he struck, which prevented his victims from identifying him.

Speaking about his modus operandi, police said he struck only after carefully observing the victim.

Even though he was almost caught on occasion, he managed to escape.

The youth did so by issuing dire threats to the public, an officer who investigated the case said.

He is a first time offender, and police are still investigating various angles to the case: what he did with the stolen gold, whether he pledged it with a pawnbroker or sold it. They are also trying to find out what he did with the money; though there are reports that he spent it on his girl friend, police are probing further.

The fact that the youth had committed 19 chain-snatching cases in the same area is a different story. What is intriguing is the method adopted by the youth.

A senior police officer said that despite the adverse publicity, Tamil Nadu was much safer when compared with other States.

He pointed out that it has hardly been a year since the suburbs (from the erstwhile Chengalpattu district) were brought under the city police jurisdiction.

It will take some time for things to settle down, he said. People should understand that the city police was 150 years old, and should not compare policing in the city with the policing in the new areas, he said.

Despite their limitations, police are doing every thing they can to ensure that law and order was under check, he said. Criminals are getting smarter, he admitted, but said that the force was there to protect law-abiding citizens, he said.

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