Special squads to check chain-snatchings in City

 Home Minister K J George on Thursday informed the Legislative Council, that as part of steps taken to prevent and contain incidents of chain snatching in Bangalore City, special squads have been formed and accountability fixed on station officers to thwart such incidents.

Replying to a question by M D Laxminarayan (nominated), George said, the police department has been facing staff crunch for the last last four years and the process to recruit 22,000 police personnel has commenced and this year 8,500 personnel would be recruited.

Statistics

To overcome the shortfall of man power, the department has been utilising services of 7,000 home guards and they were paid daily allowances of Rs 300. George said, during 2011, 342 incidents of chain snatching were reported and 263 investigated, during 2012, 353 incidents and 334 investigated and during 2013, 277 incidents and 186 investigated.

George said the police department has been thinking of dividing Bangalore police commissionerate as the present jurisdiction of the commissionerate was too big. Replying to question by E Krishnappa (JD-S), he said, all areas under the jurisdiction of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) come under the jurisdiction of Bangalore police commissionerate. Some of the newly merged areas that weren’t under its umbrella too would be brought under it soon.