17 May,2011 06:14 AM IST | | Sayed Roshan
Deputy Commissioner of Police has ordered beat marshals to patrol theft-prone areas on motorcycles in order to swiftly nab petty thieves who rob pedestrians and scoot on bikes
In a bid to address the sudden spurt in incidences of chain-snatching in the city suburbs over the past few weeks, armed policemen have been asked to patrol the streets on motorcycles. Deputy Commissioner of Police, K M M Prasanna, attached to zone IX, has ordered beat marshals to keep a hawk-eyed vigil on bikers plying in the city streets, especially in areas like Khar and Bandra, which has witnessed a steep rise in chain-snatching cases. Moreover, whenever a chain-snatching incident is reported, the senior police inspector of the area will have to report to the Commissioner of Police, Arup Patnaik. As many as four cases of chain-snatching were reported on Sunday in Andheri and Borivli.
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Illustration/Jishu Dev Malakar
The policemen have divided themselves into groups to intensify their patrolling activities. On Sunday, around five policemen stood sentry near Linking Road in Khar, and Mehboob studio in Bandra, keeping a close vigil on the bikers passing by. While around 30 bikers were halted for inspection on Linking Road, 20 were checked near Mehboob studio. The patrollers have been instructed to pay regular visits to areas like Linking Road and Hill Road. The patrolling continues through the night, and the police can be seen diligently packing strollers off to their residences by 1 am.
"We have been deployed by our senior officers to keep an eye on bikers in Khar and Bandra, so as to curb cases of chain snatching. Top officers have been given explicit instructions to be on the alert against these petty thieves," sid a police officer attached to the Khar police station. "Patrolling activities have been intensified in the theft-prone areas of the city, so as to curb such incidents. The commissioner of police called the senior police inspectors in the police stations of Bandra and Khar to give these instructions," said Prasanna.
