Kayamkulam: The police have launched a "Crime Drive" to track the movements of history-sheeters and anti-social elements by visiting their houses daily and taking their pictures. The pictures taken by the local police during this surveillance exercise will be sent to the respective District Police Superintendent on daily basis.
The drive was kicked off as per the directive of DGP (Law and Order) Anil Kant. It was launched in the districts of Alappuzha, Thrissur and Kottayam. It will be launched in other districts soon.
If you click the "Profiling Check option" in the mobile App "Police Crime Drive", the details and photograph of the criminals in each police station limits will appear on the screen.
The police will make a daily visit during any time between 11 pm to 4 am to the houses of those who have been included in the list. The police will take their photographs and send them to the office of the District Police Superintendent.
This duty is assigned to the police personnel who are in charge of night patrolling. The names of offenders who are implicated in more than one criminal case are included in the crime drive list. The details of criminals who are not present in their houses during the time of police visit should be informed to the Superintendent of Police promptly.
But the main practical issue being faced by the police in implementing the scheme is that only the service of two policemen is usually available in each police station to carry out night patrols.
Moreover, policemen have a general feeling that the visit of just two personnel at the house of criminals would be a risky affair. Meanwhile, the higher police officials have started seeking explanation from the cops, who are bunking night patrolling duty.
But there is a strong argument against undertaking such an exercise. It is pointed out that waking up persons at midnight and taking their pictures, even if they are criminals, are touted as a violation of human rights and interference in their privacy. It is also pointed out that such surveillance was restrained by the Supreme Court earlier itself.
