Intel inputs put Bengaluru on high alert, top cop asserts calm

  • | Sunday | 18th August, 2019

Popularly referred to as the ‘Bengaluru boy’, the new City police commissioner - Additional Director General of Police - Bhaskar Rao took charge as the city’s top cop on August 2. “Both are equally important for a safe city and a motivated police force,” Rao told Bala Chauhan of The New Sunday Express in an exclusive interview. This will also help in improving communication within the police and with other state and central security agencies. The Central Crime Branch of the City police needs an urgent image makeover. Bengaluru is a tech city but investigation and detection in cyber crime cases is pathetic, how do you propose to improve this?

Bala Chauhan By Express News Service BENGALURU: The central intelligence agencies have repeatedly cautioned the state government about a possible terror strike by Pakistan in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu & Kashmir. Highly placed sources told The New Sunday Express that the first ‘high’ alert was sounded on August 5, when Home Minister Amit Shah had tabled the resolution on Article 370 in the Rajya Sabha and the Presidential order was subsequently issued. But Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao played down any security threat and skirted a question on why he had issued a detailed letter to his officers asking them to maintain all-time vigil at key government installations and public places. “Bengaluru is an economic and technology hub. It is an international city and should be kept safe. I will repeat the security ‘drills’ periodically for capacity building and response time of the police to deal with any untoward event,” Rao said. Popularly referred to as the ‘Bengaluru boy’, the new City police commissioner - Additional Director General of Police - Bhaskar Rao took charge as the city’s top cop on August 2. It was a baptism by fire as he was stung by a controversial audio clip in which he is purportedly having a conversation with a power broker with alleged links to the Congress central leadership regarding his posting as police commissioner. However, Rao is his resilient self and has busied himself with the task of making the city police, a force to be reckoned with. His priority is the security of the city and the welfare of his constabulary. “Both are equally important for a safe city and a motivated police force,” Rao told Bala Chauhan of The New Sunday Express in an exclusive interview. Excerpts: TNSE: Is there any security threat to Bengaluru? You had written a detailed letter to your officers on Thursday. Bengaluru is the economic and technology hub of India. It is an international city with a sizeable number of expats and people from outside. It should be kept safe. I will repeat the security ‘drills’ periodically to scale up the capacity and response time of the police to deal with any untoward event. This will also help in improving communication within the police and with other state and central security agencies. People should not be afraid. What are your priorities as the City police commissioner? I feel that there has to be a change in the outlook of my own staff. Our mindset of police response should change. I am a firm advocate of community policing and believe that people can help reduce the crime rate if they know their neighbours and neighbourhood. We live in isolation and criminals make use of our social apathy and isolation. I’ve also asked officers to register complaints without any manipulation. For example, a chain snatching case should not registered as chain theft, which is a lesser crime. We live in isolation and criminals make use of our social apathy and isolation. I also want to end the drugs menace in Bengaluru. What steps will you take to build community policing? We are working on a couple of initiatives. To begin with we wish to start the ‘Hello neighbour’ plan in which we will distribute leaflets across the city and ask the people to name their neighbours, jurisdictional police station and other government service providers. We also propose to rope in the four and half lakh strong private security network, who will be our eyes and ears on the ground. In turn, we will share some of our infrastructure like parade ground for their drills. The Central Crime Branch of the City police needs an urgent image makeover. Your views? Today I had a meeting with CCB officers and I’ve asked them to identify and take action against various kinds of mafias, who are holding people to ransom. Bengaluru is a tech city but investigation and detection in cyber crime cases is pathetic, how do you propose to improve this? I am aware of our shortcomings in cyber crime cases and am working to tie up with Nasscom and other technology based agencies for training our men on the job.

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