The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Video surveillance planned

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 19, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Video surveillance planned

Staff Reporter

To spot trouble makers at Onam festival venues

Crackdown on drunken driving to be intensified
Police not to encourage drinking in public places

Thiruvananthapuram: The police will deploy at least 12 ‘roving’ surveillance teams equipped with hand-held video cameras to identify troublemakers at Onam festival venues in the city.

City Police Commissioner Ravada Azad Chandrasekhar said the police will not allow drunkenness and riotous behaviour in public under the pretext of Onam revelry. Video evidence, gathered by the surveillance teams in a covert manner, will help the police identify and prosecute trouble makers.

Plainclothes men and women will be deployed in sufficient numbers to detect petty crime, including misbehaviour against women and chain snatching.

‘Women shadows,’ the plainclotheswomen squad of the city police, will carry digital cameras, mobile telephones and wireless sets (concealed in their hand bags). They have been oriented to give special attention to the wellbeing of foreign tourists, particularly women moving alone. The Tourism police will assist such squads.

Residential association members and police will jointly patrol neighbourhoods at night to prevent break-ins. The Commissioner has advised residents leaving on holidays to inform the local police and residential association office bearers of their absence in advance. This will enable police patrols to cover unoccupied houses better. Nearly 1,200 policemen will be deployed in the city for the Onam celebrations.

The crack down on drunken driving will be intensified in the coming days. As many as 40 persons were arrested on Friday night alone for drunken driving. Steps have been initiated to suspend their driving licenses. The police have asked the Government to provide an additional doctor at the Medical College and General hospitals to medically examine inebriated drivers. The police will not encourage consumption of alcohol in vehicles or at public places, the Commissioner said.

Patrol vehicles

Police patrol vehicles will be stationed at 18 entry points into the city round-the-clock to quickly intercept those fleeing on vehicles after committing crimes. The police manning the entry points will also randomly check vehicles for arms, anti-social elements and illicit spirit.

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