BENGALURU: An average of 14 people have been picked up by the police every night for allegedly creating a public nuisance and engaging in other anti-social activities in the city since the launch of ‘Operation Suraksha’ (Pickup Squad), a night-time enforcement drive aimed at curbing anti-social activities and maintaining public order.
The drive was launched to crack down on offences such as mobile phone snatching, eve-teasing, public nuisance, and other crimes that typically occur during the night. The operation is carried out exclusively by sleuths of the Central Crime Branch (CCB), who patrol vulnerable areas and take preventive action against offenders.
The CCB teams patrol the city from 10 pm to 3 am. The operation is different from the regular Namma 112 Hoysala patrols, which primarily respond to emergency calls. The police have also cracked down on drug consumers and peddlers, traced overstaying foreign nationals, and booked 4,121 cases under various provisions of the law, including 3478 cases under the Karnataka Police Act.
City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh told TNIE that it aims to instil a sense of safety and confidence among the public. During the patrols, CCB officers question people found behaving suspiciously late at night, roaming in groups without any apparent reason, or creating public nuisance.
“If found involved in unlawful activities or creating a nuisance, they are taken into custody and booked under the Karnataka Police Act and others,” he said. He added that there has been a slight decline in incidents such as night-time snatching, stabbings, and other crimes.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime-I) Srihari Babu, who is leading the operation, said the drive has also helped the police to identify and apprehend drug consumers, drug peddlers, overstaying foreign nationals, and budding rowdies. The police have identified 35 vulnerable hotspots across the city, where intensified surveillance and regular patrolling are being carried out to prevent anti-social activities. The Commissioner also said the police are mapping crime-prone areas based on crime data.