Don’t be surprised when you see the cops next time riding swanky motorbikes cracking down on criminals in the city.
As four-wheelers find it difficult to ply comfortably owing to increase in vehicles and lack of space in the city, the district police here have introduced ‘smart bikes’. Cops will now be able to respond to emergency situations in the lanes and by-lanes of the city. The ‘mobile tigers will remain stationed at various police stations in the city and will come into action in a split of second during a distress call from the police station concerned by the victim.
Seven of the 47 such modified bikes were introduced on Monday by the district police for policing the city, especially the posh areas to tighten the noose on the criminals. Superintendent of police (city) S Kartik said that the district police already had the system of mobile tigers, but now they have added enhanced capacity. As soon as the control room receives emergency calls in connection with accident, clash, arson, looting or traffic jam, information will be communicated to the beat police officer concerned.
The bikes are fitted with modern communication sets. The police control room would monitor the movement of policemen using the bikes. The senior police officer said that the bikes have been fitted with megaphones, wireless sets, and sirens. He pointed out two cops equipped with advanced pistol and rifles will be riding each of the bikes similar to the motorcops found in the metros.
The city SP pointed out that the mobile tiger units will be operating under the direction of the officer-in-charge of a police station concerned. “Our main target is to deploy the motorbikes around commercial and major business establishments where criminals have been found involved in various loot and cash-snatching incidents,” said another official.
“Whenever we get emergency calls we will alert the nearby mobile patrolling motorbike unit. In case of snatching, they will chase the criminals, and for accidents or road blockades, they will try to sort the matter on the spot or inform the police station about the situation,” said he noted. “In the first phase we are covering areas of Bistupur and Sakchi as these two areas are the most crowded areas, and the movement of people is maximum there in comparison to other areas,” Kartik said. The introduction of high-speed motorcycles has brought relief to the city residents. “We hope that the new system will certainly help cops to contain anti-social activities and help move at narrow lanes on their bikes,” said Kedarmal Agrawal, a trader of Sakchi.