PANAJI: Instances of theft and chain-snatching in Porvorim increase during the summer holidays and festival periods such as Ganesh Chaturthi, a crime mapping analysis by Goa police has shown, North Goa SP Shobit Saxena said on Saturday.
Saxena, who was speaking at a public meeting at Porvorim, urged housing societies and village panchayats to consider installing CCTV cameras at entry and exit points, and along key internal roads in the villages.
"Goa police has carried out a vulnerability mapping, a crime-mapping exercise, and what we saw last year during the summer and for Chaturthi is that Porvorim is vulnerable to house thefts. We have taken steps to detect them and we were able to detect them, but it is better if we can prevent them," said Saxena.
Saxena also informed locals to be wary about individuals who claim to be police personnel. The IPS officer said that unscrupulous elements ask vulnerable women to remove their gold bangles and chains and put them in a bag, but using sleight of hand, they steal the gold.
He also urged locals to complete the police verification for their tenants and domestic help.
He said that the Penha de Franca panchayat has installed around 100 CCTV cameras at key junctions, which will help monitor anti-social elements. "Housing societies should place some CCTV cameras at the entry and exit gates," said Saxena.
Director general of police (DGP) Jaspal Singh has asked every police station to interact with locals as a confidence-building exercise, and the police-public interaction at Porvorim was in line with the DGP's directions. Saxena also informed Porvorim residents that SP Vishwesh Karpe would be available at the Porvorim police station every Saturday from 11am to 2pm as part of Goa police's Samadhan initiative.
"Our aim is to improve police and public coordination and to give a sense of security and safety. The purpose is to make sure that people do not feel that the police are away from them," said Saxena.
Most locals pointed out that many senior citizens reside in Porvorim. They said that their main concern is about road safety and traffic violations.
Several former military personnel from Porvorim's defence colony urged Goa police to increase patrolling, crack down on haphazard parking and to consider exemplary punishment for those who impersonate police.
