The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Range-wise special teams to keep tabs on criminals

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Saturday, Aug 07, 2010
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Range-wise special teams to keep tabs on criminals

Each team has been provided with logistical support to carry out its operation discreetly writes R.Rajaram

The City Police have formed special teams range-wise to pursue criminals, especially those involved in property crimes, by collecting intelligence on them.

The teams have been constituted at Golden Rock, Fort, Cantonment and Srirangam ranges with five to six handpicked personnel each who have knowledge about offenders, their antecedents and modus operandi. Mandated with specific tasks, each special team has been provided with necessary logistical support to carry out its operation discreetly. In addition to collecting intelligence on criminals and “source planting,” the team members also keep tabs on the city's borders. They also collect inputs about rowdy elements outside as well as those behind bars and their activities inside prison. Equipped with profiles of the criminals, the team members also liaison with their counterparts in neighbouring districts to keep track of the criminals.

Instances of property crimes such as vehicles thefts, chain snatchings and house break-ins reported within the city limits at regular intervals necessitated law enforcing authorities to constitute special teams range-wise with chosen personnel in an effort to apprehend culprits and check crimes.

Police sources say in addition to the range wise teams, one special party was functioning directly under the supervision of the Commissioner of Police and the other under the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic). The range teams directly monitored by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) have been spared of normal duties to enable them focus on some specifically entrusted tasks.

The initiative has started paying dividends with the teams apprehending seven gangs recently, leading to the recovery of stolen property. Some of the culprits were found to be involved in property crimes such as house break-ins in neighbouring Namakkal and Thanjavur districts as well, say police authorities adding that 30 to 40 stolen vehicles were recovered.

There has been reduction in two wheeler thefts and containment of chain snatching incidents over the past couple of months. Vehicle thefts have also come down now, claim the police.

In the last seven months, 271 vehicle theft cases were reported in city limits owing to prompt registration of cases. Eighty percent of these cases were detected, says the Commissioner of Police K. Vanniaperumal. Many offenders were detained under the Goondas Act , he added.The focus of the police from the crime point of view was more in Srirangam, Woraiyur and K.K. Nagar which has been witness to proliferation of residential localities, he added. Every time a special drive was conducted within the city limit, no offence is reported for some time, he said adding that frequent drives were proposed to be conducted to curb offences.

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