MYSURU: Crime rates, which had dipped during the Covid-induced lockdown, have seen an increase of 15-20 per cent after the restrictions were lifted last month, said Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai here on Wednesday.
Taking part in the passing-out parade of probationary police sub-inspectors and deputy superintendents of police, Bommai said, “Most of the cases that are being reported now are dacoity, theft and chain snatching.
Earlier, a majority of chain-snatching cases were filed from urban areas, but after the lockdown was lifted, these crimes are being witnessed in rural areas too. I have instructed police officials to increase the number of beats at nights and early mornings. I have also told them to deploy more personnel on such patrolling duties.”
Commending the police force for fighting the drug menace effectively, he said that in recent times, narcotic drugs worth over Rs 50 crore have been seized across the State. “But the challenge is to track the movement of drugs through the dark web. Still, the police have been quite successful,” he added.
The State Government will set up six forensic science laboratories (FSL) across in the State, including one in Mysuru, he said. “The police department had 27,000 vacant posts before the BJP came to power. In the last one-and-half-a-years, 13,000 posts have been filled. Rest of the recruitments will also be done soon. Already, the process is on to appoint 4,000 police constables and a notification will be issued soon to fill up the remaining vacant posts of police constables,” he said.
The government is planning to train college students in self-defence to make them stronger mentally and physically. The modalities will be worked out soon and the programme will be launched in all colleges across the State, he said. Addressing the new police officers, the home minister advised them to work hard towards containing the number of crimes in the State.
Strengthening police force
15-20% increase in crime rate since lockdown lifted
6 forensic science laboratories to come up across Karnataka
13,000 vacant posts filled in police force over the last one-and-a-half years
Process on to recruit 4,000 police constables