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Chennai is safer
 Last year, there was an historic downfall in the
crime graph of Chennai city, compared to yesteryear. Normally, every year the rate of house
break-in would be around an average of 1,500 and above in Chennai city alone.
But it was only 1,024 during 2002 and further
declined to 634 in 2003. Against the normal average of 400 robberies every year, it was less than a
mere 100 during last year. Chain-snatching had also come down during last year considerably to a
mere 168 in 2003, dwindling down three times from the normal average.
What is the reason for the crime graph
of Chennai city dipping so sharply?
During the previous DMK regime,
police officers were not given a free hand to deal with the criminals. During 1995, the then Jayalalithaa government, on the advice of the
police officials, had arrested important Muslim fundamentalist leaders at Coimbatore and detained all of them under
the Goondas Act.
Check-posts were also provided at important points at Coimbatore in order to contain the smuggling of
gelatin sticks from Kerala to Tamil Nadu, which was used as a major raw material for producing bombs.
But when the DMK government came to power during 1996, all those check-posts were removed to fulfil their election promise. The
DMK government had also released all the Muslim fundamentalists detained under
the Goondas Act.
At that point of time, the
police intelligence chief had sent a confidential note to the then chief
minister M Karunanidhi stating that the action of the government in releasing the
fundamentalists and withdrawal of the check-posts might have serious
repercussions as gelatin sticks were freely smuggled from Kerala to Tamil Nadu.
 But this note of caution fell on deaf ears. But, as expected, the bomb
blasts occurred, costing several lives in Coimbatore.
Likewise, during the last regime, in order to avoid lock-up deaths,
police lock-ups were converted into storerooms and criminals were not detained
in the police lock-ups.
Instructions had also been given to the
policemen not to deal the criminals in their "usual style". As a result the crime rate
in Chennai during the last DMK regime was at its peak.
But the AIADMK government, after coming to power
in 2001, had given a free hand to the policemen. Police lock-ups, which were closed and converted
into storerooms, were opened, and criminals were detained as usual.
Police resumed their "usual
methods". There were several police encounters in which nine persons were killed, even though a few were controversial. Police
night beats were strengthened and the movement of criminals
at night were contained considerably.
Nearly, 500 notorious criminals were detained under
the Goondas Act during last year. All the notorious rowdy elements refused to come out on bail fearing
police encounters.
Criminals who were released opted to go out of Chennai
fearing police action. So, all these stringent actions taken by the police against the criminals during the present AIADMK regime has
had a deterrent effect on the criminals and as a result the crime rate during last year
reduced considerably.
A crime-free society, in a democratic country like India,
may be an impossible dream. But it is always possible to contain crime considerably if police are given a
free hand without interference from politicians. The declining crime rate in Chennai during last year proves the point.
Harvey
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