The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Bangalore police ask churches to install metal detectors, cameras

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Bangalore police ask churches to install metal detectors, cameras

Staff Reporter

Short of staff, police officials say their capabilities stretched

BANGALORE: A beleaguered Bangalore city police, buffeted by charges of inefficiency by both the government and Christian organisations, finds itself short of security personnel to guard churches and prayer halls.

If the promise of round-the-clock security is to be fulfilled, the Police Department will need a minimum of 6,400 additional policemen, 800 vehicles and 800 wireless gadgets, a senior police official told The Hindu. Senior police officials admitted that their capabilities are stretched.

They have now asked churches to take security steps such as installing CCTV cameras, metal detectors, burglar alarms, etc.

They have also suggested to the church authorities to appoint private security guards.

There are around 800 churches — both Protestant and Catholic — in Bangalore. Among them, 400 churches, small in size, are in the limits of South East Division of Bangalore city police.

A majority of them are located in and around Ejipura, Koramangala, Vivek Nagar and Austin Town.

Terms of reference

Bangalore Special Correspondent writes:

The Karnataka Cabinet on Monday finalised the terms of reference for the judicial probe to be conducted by the former judge of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh High Courts, B.K. Somashekhara, into the attacks on churches.

The terms of reference are: To inquire into the sequence of events and circumstances leading to attacks on the places of worship and incidents thereafter which occurred during September in Dakshina Kannada and other districts of the State; to identify persons and organisations responsible for the above incidents; to ascertain whether there was any negligence or lapses on the part of the district administration in dealing with the situation; and any other matter which arises from or is connected with or incidental to any act or omission relating to the said incident, including steps and measures to be taken to prevent recurrence of such events in future. The commission has been given three months’ time for completing the inquiry.

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