BHUBANESWAR: Adding teeth to its patrolling system, the commissionerate police have decided to issue firearms to its personnel, manning the police control room ( PCR ) vans in the capital city. The decision has been taken in the wake of criminals using firearms to commit snatching and robbery.“We feel the need of providing firearms to our PCR staff for their self-defence and effectively challenging the armed criminals on hot pursuit,” commissioner of police (CP) Satyajit Mohanty said. The CP said the PCR vans will help the local police in intensifying patrolling across the city to prevent snatching incidents that have become a cause for concern of late.At least ten snatching cases were reported, especially during dawn, at different places in the city in last two months. At least five morning walkers were attacked and robbed of their belongings in Chandrasekharpur and Nandankanan police areas on Friday, drawing sharp criticism for the police. The victims included an elderly couple of Sailashree Vihar area. The police are yet to catch hold of the snatchers.Under fire from several quarters, the commissionerate police issued an advisory to inspectors-in-charge (IICs) of police stations and asked them to identify vulnerable places where snatchers attacked morning walkers. “We have asked the IICs to locate the snatching-prone areas (mostly when the crime occurred during dawn). Local police stations should introduce foot and bike patrolling in those areas. PCR vans of the modern control room may be used for patrolling in the vulnerable areas,” Mohanty said.The IICs have also been asked to reschedule the night blocking hour, sources said. The CP has instructed the police stations to intensify patrolling between 4 am and 7 am for the safety of morning walkers.Residents said the police should remain vigilant in late night and early morning as the criminals are striking during the odd hours . “We are still in panic after masked robbers sneaked into the house of a banker, held her 5-month baby on knifepoint and looted household articles worth lakhs of rupees in Kanan Vihar area on February 27. Police should not only intensify patrolling, but also keep track on snatchers or robbers, who are released from jail,” said Prabhujit Tripathy, a resident of Kanan Vihar said.

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