<p>After dark, the security on the streets of Bangalore seems to be as patchy as that of other cities. In fact, with hardly any police patrolling or night vigil, many women say they don’t feel safe at night. For single women who live alone, things can become very difficult.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Many Bangaloreans point out that after dark, they hardly see any patrol vehicles in their area. Sandesh, a resident of Bommanahalli, feels that his neighbourhood is extremely unsafe for women and men alike after 8 pm. <br /><br />“There is hardly any patrolling. You can’t spot any police vehicle or constable after a certain hour. It is risky for girls who come back home late. Since we’re students and often return at late hours because of project work, we definitely want better patrolling in this area,” he says.<br /><br />Sunil, a resident of Ejipura, tells the same story. “Though the Ejipura signal has a lot of activity till about 9 pm, the area becomes deserted after that. Small thefts in the neighbourhood are pretty common and despite complaints by many residents, the administration does not take any steps to address this. We don’t see any police patrol vehicles or night guards — the area is becoming more unsafe every year. The deputy chief minister has promised to introduce more patrol vehicles and Hoysalas, but the bigger question is whether these patrol vehicles will enter smaller lanes. All of us don’t live on the main roads,” he notes. <br /><br />Pallavi, a student who lives in JP Nagar, agrees that she too has not noticed any police patrol vehicle in her area. “We have to lock all the doors and windows before we sleep. We live in constant fear, as my friends have also faced some problems in the past,” she admits. However, areas like Jayanagar 4th Block and Koramangala 1st and 2nd Blocks seem to have regular policing. Kushal, who is a resident of Jayanagar 4th Block, says that this area is safer at night than many other parts of the City. <br /><br />“I can see Hoysalas taking rounds of the neighbourhood on a regular basis. But not all areas in the City are safe. My college is located in HSR Layout and I often have to stay back late in the evenings. The area is absolutely cut off from the rest of the City — the transport provisions to other parts of the City are almost non-existent after 8 pm. <br /><br />The street lights on the stretch to Belandur do not work and there is hardly any police patrolling at night. It is difficult for girls to travel alone in that area. The administration should take note of these things and fix the problems,” he points out.<br /><br />But T Suneel Kumar, additional commissioner of police (law and order), claims that police vehicles do patrol many areas. “As these vehicles are not stationed permanently, residents often cannot spot them. We will definitely increase the vigil,” he informs.<br /><br />Bangaloreans share a different view, though, with petty thefts and crime rampant after sun down.</p>
<p>After dark, the security on the streets of Bangalore seems to be as patchy as that of other cities. In fact, with hardly any police patrolling or night vigil, many women say they don’t feel safe at night. For single women who live alone, things can become very difficult.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Many Bangaloreans point out that after dark, they hardly see any patrol vehicles in their area. Sandesh, a resident of Bommanahalli, feels that his neighbourhood is extremely unsafe for women and men alike after 8 pm. <br /><br />“There is hardly any patrolling. You can’t spot any police vehicle or constable after a certain hour. It is risky for girls who come back home late. Since we’re students and often return at late hours because of project work, we definitely want better patrolling in this area,” he says.<br /><br />Sunil, a resident of Ejipura, tells the same story. “Though the Ejipura signal has a lot of activity till about 9 pm, the area becomes deserted after that. Small thefts in the neighbourhood are pretty common and despite complaints by many residents, the administration does not take any steps to address this. We don’t see any police patrol vehicles or night guards — the area is becoming more unsafe every year. The deputy chief minister has promised to introduce more patrol vehicles and Hoysalas, but the bigger question is whether these patrol vehicles will enter smaller lanes. All of us don’t live on the main roads,” he notes. <br /><br />Pallavi, a student who lives in JP Nagar, agrees that she too has not noticed any police patrol vehicle in her area. “We have to lock all the doors and windows before we sleep. We live in constant fear, as my friends have also faced some problems in the past,” she admits. However, areas like Jayanagar 4th Block and Koramangala 1st and 2nd Blocks seem to have regular policing. Kushal, who is a resident of Jayanagar 4th Block, says that this area is safer at night than many other parts of the City. <br /><br />“I can see Hoysalas taking rounds of the neighbourhood on a regular basis. But not all areas in the City are safe. My college is located in HSR Layout and I often have to stay back late in the evenings. The area is absolutely cut off from the rest of the City — the transport provisions to other parts of the City are almost non-existent after 8 pm. <br /><br />The street lights on the stretch to Belandur do not work and there is hardly any police patrolling at night. It is difficult for girls to travel alone in that area. The administration should take note of these things and fix the problems,” he points out.<br /><br />But T Suneel Kumar, additional commissioner of police (law and order), claims that police vehicles do patrol many areas. “As these vehicles are not stationed permanently, residents often cannot spot them. We will definitely increase the vigil,” he informs.<br /><br />Bangaloreans share a different view, though, with petty thefts and crime rampant after sun down.</p>