Gurugram Police start patrolling on cycles to curb street crime

In order to curb rising incidents of snatching and theft in the city, the police have deployed 80 beat constables across the city. The beat constables would make

In order to curb rising incidents of snatching and theft in the city, the police have deployed 80 beat constables across the city. The beat constables would make more rounds on bicycles which will act as a deterrent for criminals, the police said.

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According to the police, it is a revival of the traditional beat patrolling system wherein officers moved around on foot or bicycle, facilitating better interaction with the community. The beat system, however, was ended in favour of the modern police control room vehicles.

In 2015, some police stations had restarted sending beat constables in their respective areas but the system vanished within three months due to force crunch, said the police.

The police said that these beat policemen will regularly interact with people. On Monday, they shared their numbers with the presidents of resident welfare associations (RWAs) and visited slums.

The beat constables will be deployed on a 12-hour shift. Each police station is given two bicycles and two helmets to begin with. Sadar police station, however, has been given five bicycles due to the vast area under its jurisdiction.

The police said by March-end, every police station will have three to four bicycles to cover their respective areas.

Muhammad Akil, the commissioner of police, said each residential area of the city will now have one constable for beat patrolling. “Each constable has been assigned charge of a specific area for three months. We have reintroduced beat policing system to reduce crime in the city and to increase police presence. The system is also aimed at reducing the response time of the police to crime spots,” he said.

The personnel are expected to make regular visits to the residential areas, market places and bank ATMs. These beat constables will have to maintain a daily patrol record, which will be supervised by the station house officer of the police station concerned, said the official.

“Though the number of beat constables is not enough right now, we have plans to increase the number depending on the number of police personnel deployed in a police station and crime reported from the particular area,” said Akil.

The residents said that the beat patrolling is necessary because a police officer should be accessible and approachable in less than half an hour. “With beat patrolling, we are able to reach out for help faster. This system will help reduce the number of street crimes,” said Sangeeta Kumar, a resident of DLF Phase 1.