The Hindu : Kerala News : Reducing rural crime rates Law and order

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Saturday, Jul 07, 2007
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Reducing rural crime rates Law and order

The police are holding interactive meetings in rural Kozhikode, writes Biju Govind

Efforts are being made to improve policing in rural areas of Kozhikode district, especially Vadakara and Thamarassery. “All the police stations in the district have been asked to make a concerted effort to bring down the crime rates in rural areas,” says Ramdas Pothan, Superintendent of Police, Kozhikode (Rural).

Thefts, burglaries and chain snatching are common during the rainy season. The deputy superintendents of police at Vadakara and Thamarassery have been instructed to take stern action against thieves and robbers. Twenty police stations and nine circle stations function under the two officials, Mr. Pothan says.

The police are holding interactive meetings to take people into confidence in maintaining law and order. Unlike in the past, any person can walk into a police station or call up a police officer to seek help, Mr. Pothan says.

Special teams under the deputy superintendents have been entrusted with the task of handling anti-social gangs as well as potential troublemakers. On Wednesday, the Nadapuram police arrested three persons on the charge of theft in several cases in Kozhikode and neighbouring districts. The police said N. Anish, K. Firoz and Dileep were arrested while trying to break into a house at Purameri. They belonged to a seven-member burglary team, of which four are in jail. The Nadapuram First Class Judicial Magistrate’s Court remanded the three accused in judicial custody for two weeks.

The police said weapons and other equipment used for burglaries were recovered from them. The gang had been involved in thefts and robberies at various places in Vadakara, Thooneri, Thalassery, Malappuram and Kozhikode city. Watches, mobiles phones, gold jewellery, motorbikes and cars had been stolen by them, the police said.

Political disputes

Mr. Pothan says a meeting of political parties and elected representatives were convened recently to settle disputes between political parties and other organisations. Nadapuram and adjoining areas witness clashes between workers of the Indian Union Muslim League and the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Now, some of the regions are calm, he says.

On the problem of students not being allowed to travel on private buses, especially in Koyilandy town, he says a sub-inspector has been posted at the bus station during peak hours in the morning and evening to monitor the situation.

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