BENGALURU: M N Reddi, who was City Police Commissioner till Friday, says his tenure saw a decline in vehicle thefts.
Following his promotion as Director-General of Police and Commandant-General of Home Guards, Reddi has handed over charge to N S Megharikh.
Reddi looked back and shared with Express his thoughts on his year-long stint as Bengaluru’s No 1 policeman. “Yes, there is a dearth of personnel, but the Bengaluru police are able to rise to any situation,” he said. In his words:
Tough Cases
The Church Street blast and the sexual assaults on schoolchildren created panic, which we addressed swiftly. Chain-snatching is back. We can’t deploy the police everywhere. We used some strategies to curb it. By joining forces with the state police, chain-snatching will be curbed. Before my exit, we had planned some things. When I assumed charge, vehicle theft was one of the main challenges. We successfully countered the problem. Over the past year, vehicle thefts, robberies, and chain-snatching incidents have come down in the city.
Political Hand
There used to be political interference during my tenure but only in the form of requests.
I was never told by any politician to break the law and get things done. Within the legal framework, I have helped them.
Police Mistakes
If a mistake was committed unknowingly, I have stood by my men. But we have taken stern action against policemen who broke the law. The city houses more than one crore people. Organised crime, crime by outsiders, cyber crime and terrorist attacks are the major challenges before the city. We are able to make fast arrests in many cases. We have also used the Goonda Act and created fear among law-breakers.
Home Guards
I am thrilled to go to back to the Home Guards. I have worked there before. During my tenure, Karnataka got national recognition for establishing fire units in all taluks. Maybe I will try to upgrade the infrastructure there.