Crime prevention awareness: SP stresses on need for self-caution

Lack of awareness among the mass would result in an increase in criminal activities, Superintendent of Police Annamalai has said.

The officer, who inaugurated the month-long crime prevention awareness activities organised by the district police, said that public awareness would help police personnel to reduce criminal activities.

Emphasising on the self-cautious measures to be adopted by the public, the SP said that the public should remain alert to avert crimes. He added that, while in most of the cases the culprits would be traced out, there are also instances where the cases go undetected.

“There are many reasons for the offender not being nabbed. Only 75 percent of the recovery is possible while remaining 25 percent is not. Gold recovery would be easy, but the cash lost cannot be recovered as the offenders invest in cash immediately,” he explained.

Referring to the increasing cases of chain-snatching, the SP added that the criminals would venture into the task with the capital of risk and zero investments.

The cost benefit analysis indicates that the culprits profited with nearly a lakh worth of gold with no investment. He advised women to be observant and take care of their ornaments.

The SP said that the crime prevention initiatives are taken up by the Police Department to impart awareness among the public, adding that the victim of a crime would take with him or her the mental agony although he or she is ascertained return of the lost items.

He also said that, in Karnataka, there is one police personnel for every individual as against the developed countries wherein a police personnel would be for 400 public in proportion. He added that the first few minutes are crucial in the aftermath of a crime and people should contact police immediately, which, in turn, would help to nab the culprits.

Expressing apprehension over the unnecessary expenditure of investigating funds, Annamalai said the district has spent Rs one crore in 2014 to detect crime.

“If at all the public awareness programme helps us reduce the acts of crime taking place, these funds can be used for other development schemes, like providing infrastructural facilities. All the stakeholders in society are equally responsible to help curb the criminal activities. The public should also be aware of the scenes of crime disturbances. The disturbance would damage the evidences. Finger prints are important. All police stations in Karnataka are connected with  finger print technology,” he explained.

The officer added that the awareness campaign would be taken up till December-end. Essay and cartoon competitions will be held for school and college students. Apart from that, the police would visit the schools and colleges to spread the awareness messages. There are 13,000 downloads for Suraksha Aap with 750 complaints, he said.

Public Prosecution Assistant Director P Jyothi Nayak said that the Vishaka guidelines set forth by the Supreme Court prove to be a lamppost in the direction of protecting the rights of women at workplace. The guidelines demand that institution of a redress cell should be mandatory in all the organisations. She lamented that the cell and the internal committees to inquire sexual harassment cases are missing in most of the organisations.

The case would be inquired at various levels and justice would be ensured to the victim in the form of compensation for metal and physical agony, she added.