Mumbai: How Bhandup cops are beating crime with police chowkies

Police are patrolling on foot to catch criminals and curb crime; the top brass began by sacking Bhandup's erstwhile senior PI and then cracked down on a drug network. Pic/Rajesh Gupta

From busting drug rackets, the Bhandup police have now turned its attention to catching hardened criminals or anyone in possession of illegal weapons. In the very first drive, the cops arrested a 16-year-old history-sheeter with a dagger, along with another man who had a sword. These arrests are the result of rigorous foot patrolling and activation of all four beat chowkies in Bhandup.

The Bhandup police are cracking down on notorious criminals and residents in possession of illegal weapons in light of a string of murders - eight killings over seven months, as well as 10 cases of attempt to murder. According to the law, citizens need permission for possession of any sharp weapons longer than 9 inches.

Cops go all out
On Saturday, the police arrested a 16-year-old. "He had been arrested earlier for assault. This time, he was found with a dagger. A 29-year-old, Santosh Yadav, was also arrested from Hanuman Nagar after we found a sword at his home," said an officer from Bhandup police. As part of the five-point crime-fighting plan, which mid-day had reported on earlier, the top brass have also activated all four beat chowkies in the jurisdiction - Village Road, Pratap Nagar, Tembhi Pada and Khindi Pada. "Chowkies have been an integral part of policing for years. The very first thing we did was to activate all the chowkies in Bhandup," said a senior officer.

The Ekta police chowkie at Pratap Nagar. Pic/Rajesh Gupta

"Dedicated staff has made available for the chowkies, which will not only keep a close eye on the locality, but will gather fresh information on crime and criminals," added the officer. The chowkies are operational day and night, while officers are out in never-before-seen numbers, patrolling on foot to monitor the narrow lanes in Bhandup, particularly around the pipeline area at Tembhi Pada. "We have started rigorous patrolling in Bhandup, and are targeting anti-social elements and youngsters loitering about," said Ramesh Khade, the new senior inspector of Bhandup police station.

Residents say
"We are definitely witnessing a difference in policing with increased police presence and the chowkies staying open 24x7," said Sachin Mhaskar, a local. "We rarely used to see cops crossing the pipeline area, where drugs are a real menace. But now, cops can be seen patrolling there on foot. This is a welcome change," said another resident.

4
Number of active beat chowkies in Bhandup

Also Read: Mumbai Police launches crackdown to clean up crime in Bhandup, eight drug peddlers held

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