Kerala - Kochi   

PRIDE may play a role in eradicating crime

Staff Reporter

Traffic carnival tentatively scheduled for March 24

KOCHI: The Police-Residents' Associations Initiative in District Ernakulam (PRIDE) will soon prepare a blueprint for campaigns to be taken up during the year.

Addressing his first meeting of the initiative here on Saturday, Commissioner of Police, Kochi, Manoj Abraham said that a combination of policing and awareness of key result areas identified would be tried.

PRIDE had identified the key result areas for the year as drive against use and sale of drugs, prevention of harassment of women, promotion of anti-terrorism activities and special drive against erring crews of private buses.

Mr. Abraham said that along with these, special drives would be taken up to enhance awareness of national security among those living along the coast, as the coastal belt continued to be highly porous. Statistics available with the Union Government indicated an increased inflow of foreign funds. It was suspected that a considerable portion of these funds was used for anti-national activities.

Crime reduction

He said the initiative should aim at reducing the crime rate by half before next year. A platform for interaction had now been created and this should be used to eradicate crime. Night patrolling would be strengthened soon.

The pattern followed in Thiruvananthapuram, where young representatives from each residents' association were screened by the special branch police and issued identity cards, could be adopted to improve the night patrolling system here, Mr. Abraham said.

Also, awareness classes would be given to homemakers to prevent thefts and housebreaks during daytime.

He said the initiative would organise another edition of its traffic carnival, an awareness drive. Minister for Home Kodiyeri Balakrishnan was expected to inaugurate the drive, tentatively scheduled for March 24, he said. Efforts would be made to improve the traffic situation in the city within the inherent limitations. Minor structural changes such as buses stopping only at bus bays could bring in a great impact on improving traffic, Mr. Abraham said.

P.K. Gopalakrishnan, general secretary of Ernakulam District Residents Association Apex Council, said that a concerted effort would be made to spread awareness about the drives to be taken up. Representatives of residents' associations submitted complaints. There were suggestions such as improving patrolling on Willingdon Island and reviving the pre-paid autorickshaw system.

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