BANGALORE: With crime at apartments and housing enclaves on the rise in the city, people living in apartments and gated communities want security at their residences beefed up.
Despite having some kind of security system in place, residents of such gated communities and apartments are trying to improve the system.
The year 2010 recorded 105 murders, according to statistics with the police department.
Savitha Subramainiam, a resident at a upmarket residential enclave on Lavelle Road, said people, especially lone women, were at risk.
"By and large, gated communities and apartment complexes from big and reputed builders have a professional security system in place, such as hiring watchmen from the organised sector. They have rotational shifts," she said. "But, those who reside in smaller apartments with less number of flats could be at greater risk."
Another resident at an enclave in Whitefield said use of modern technology/gadgets could help avert risks crime.
"Firstly, opening the door for strangers when alone, is a total no," said the person who did not want to be named. "This apart, residents in housing enclaves have to insist that visitors are allowed through gates only after a thorough screening process," said Gilbert Rebello, a software professional from Marathahalli, near Whitefield. "People known to residents should first interact on a videophone or speaker system with the visitor and only then permitted inside. Residents have to interact frequently with each other and be part of apartment owners associations."
A security solutions provider said lack of sincere, quality and trained manpower, could affect the way security is provided at apartments and gated communities.
"Most of the companies only hire men and provide them brightly coloured uniforms. They lack selfdefence and martial art training," said a retired army officer from a security solutions company in the city. "Without any legislation or governmental checks on recruitment for security guards, they (manpower) may also be potential criminals in the making."
He said another factor was indiscriminate hiring of strangers for the job. "Unknown people from different states are recruited without any background checks," he said. "They are totally new to Bangalore and do not speak the local language and can escape after committing a crime."
(Names of residents have been changed to ensure confidentiality)