The district has come under a thick security blanket with around 5,700 police personnel being stationed in various parts to ensure the smooth conduct of the local body elections on Tuesday.
Besides ensuring sizeable deployment, the district authorities are arranging webcasting facilities in as many as 180 polling booths that have been deemed hyper-sensitive. Police officials have also adopted steps to videograph the proceedings in other polling stations in anticipation of untoward incidents.
The Thiruvananthapuram Rural police has deployed 3,200 police personnel, including nine Deputy Superintendents of Police (DySPs), in the 2,521 polling booths within its limits.
According to District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram Rural) B. Asokan, the entire region which comprised the Attingal, Nedumangad and Neyyattinkara police sub-divisions has been divided into seven election sub-divisions for better coordination and surveillance.
Under a Dy.SP
These include Attingal, Pothencode, Venjaramoodu, Nedumangad, Kattakada, Neyyattinkara and Parassala that will each come under the supervision of a Dy.SP.
They will be assisted by 48 Circle Inspectors and 320 Sub Inspectors.
Besides, the police have also formed surveillance of 160 patrolling groups that will each monitor 15 polling booths constantly. Another 76 law and order (L&O) patrolling teams will be on the move to thwart any offence. While the District Police Chief will supervise the activities of eight striking force teams, each comprising 50 personnel, that will attend to exigencies, another 20 teams will report to the Dy.SPs.
94 sensitive booths
While 94 sensitive booths will come under tight security, the live feed of election proceedings from as many as 120 booths will be relayed to the District Collectorate as well as the office of the District Police Chief.
In Thiruvananthapuram City, a total of 2,496 police officials including 12 Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACPs) will be stationed across the 760 polling booths.
City Police Commissioner and Inspector General Balram Kumar Upadhyay said the ACPs who have been designated election sub-divisional officers will supervise the activities of two police stations each.
The Fort ACP alone will oversee the functioning of three stations under his jurisdiction.
Each station house officer will coordinate patrolling under his station limits. In all, there will be 46 group and 42 L&O patrol teams.
Police picketing will be set up in the sensitive areas. Sub-divisional investigation teams will be tasked with case investigations in the interim period.
47 striking teams
As many as 47 striking force teams have also been readied up by the City police.
