KOCHI: In the face of mounting anxiety surrounding crimes like picking pockets, harassment and drug transportation often reported in public transport in the state, the Kochi Metro services have emerged as a beacon of safety.
Since the inauguration of the Kochi Metro police station, set up exclusively to maintain law and order on the metro rail stretch in 2019, the metropolitan service has had an exceptionally low incidence of criminal activities.
According to data sourced from the State Crime Records Bureau, only 49 cases were registered against metro passengers over the past five years. Interestingly, only six cases were registered in 2023 and eight in 2022. The numbers were also low in 2020 and 2021, with seven and five cases, respectively. The corresponding 2019 figure of 23 marks the highest number of cases registered by the Kochi Metro police station during these years.
Offences such as eve-teasing, theft, illegal photography and public intoxication are the top cases registered at the metro station. “In 2021, a case was filed against a middle-aged man for attempting to misbehave with a minor girl. We have registered a Pocso case against him. Another case, under the NDPS Act, was filed when an individual was found waiting near the metro station to hand over drugs to his customer. These are the two significant cases registered during this period. The remaining cases are of a less severe nature,” said Kochi Metro police station SHO Manoj K N.
He said people from other states are mainly involved in crimes at stations
Because of the low crime rate, the home department utilises the services of the station house officer (SHO) and other officers to investigate crimes at nearby stations. Currently, the station is staffed with 23 officers, including a chief inspector (CI), three sub-inspectors (SI)including a woman, three assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) and 16 policemen.
Meanwhile, the police also emphasised that the CCTV surveillance system installed at the metro stations and on the Kochi Metro has played a crucial role in reducing the number of crimes.
“The surveillance system has been instrumental in the low incidence of crimes. It becomes challenging for anyone to escape if they commit a crime inside the metro. We have taken action against several cases based on CCTV footage,” said Ananthalal, the officer who served as the first SHO of the metro police station.
Cases registered
2019: 23 cases
2020: 5 cases
2021: 7 cases
2022: 8 cases
2023: 6 cases
Major cases registered:
A Pocso case and an NDPS case