THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: G Sparjan Kumar, who has assumed charge as the new city police commissioner, says his immediate priority will be to ease traffic woes and curb the cyber and narcotic cases within the city limits.
As a first measure, the commissioner has asked the officers on traffic duty to remain in their deployed areas till late at night. “Our prime concern is traffic management. The cops have been asked to wear reflective jackets, which will give them maximum visibility in low-light situations. The public will get to know that the cops are around and that will help in better traffic management,” he says.
The Commissioner also batted for enhanced cooperation between the police and other stakeholders, including the district administration and the corporation.
A meaningful joint effort would go a great way in addressing traffic issues, he says, adding that, the department will soon start collecting data on the number of private taxis, including autorickshaws, that are currently operating in the city limits as part of general safety enhancement.
To prevent illegal plying of autorickshaws during the night, the department will devise a method, wherein the police stations concerned will be intimated about the vehicles that are available for night travel.
“Earlier, there was a system of autorickshaw drivers signing a register kept at the police stations before commencing night duty. That’s not being widely practised now. So, we are thinking of bringing in some system to keep the cops in the loop so they can know which autorickshaws are plying within their limits during the night. A final decision in this regard will be taken after due consultations with drivers,” he says.
According to him, strict action being taken against illegal parking has made a positive impact.
Sparjan, who is helming the city police for the second time, says cyber crimes and narcotic cases are the other areas he is keenly watching. According to the official data, Rs 35 crore was lost to cybercriminals in the last six months just from the city. One solution is ramping up awareness and he says, efforts will be regularly made to inform the public on cyber financial frauds.
Narcotics
The police have intensified their surveillance and the anti-narcotic special force is constantly monitoring the situation.
“We have ongoing projects meant to deal with the matter. Crimes and narcotics are closely connected. I had a meeting with the Station House Officers recently, and we have decided to ramp up our anti-narcotic drive. We are hopeful of getting positive results in the coming days,” he adds.
Traffic stats
500 cops are posted on traffic duty in the city limits till 10 pm at their respective points
Officers are deployed across 110 traffic points
Project ‘Whitecarpet’ has been enforced to prevent unauthorised parking
Special attention to avoid unauthorised use of footpaths
More traffic wardens will be deployed to collect fees from vehicles parked in designated parking areas