Cuttack: Fed up with rising petty crimes in their locality, residents of the newly developed CDA Sector 13 in this city Friday have turned themselves into night watchmen. They have taken up night patrolling with the Commissionerate Police-Cuttack in limbo.
Many residents alleged that theft, burglary and other minor crimes have gone up in their locality over past few weeks. The locals are apprehensive of such crimes every passing night.
Members of Sector 13 residents’ association have now taken up the responsibility to ensure safety and security of the area. They had no other way out as the locality lacks basic civic amenities like adequate street light-posts for better illumination at night.
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Sector 13 residents have adopted all means, starting from foot patrol to using two-wheelers, for the purpose of guarding. Holding batons (lathis) and torches in their hands, the residents moved from one point to another in the locality, a local youth who took part stated.
“Residents of CDA Sector 13 feel unsafe as there are no street lights. Owing to recent surge in thefts, all are in panicky. Particularly, girls and women feel scared and unsecured while going out of home after sunset,” a working woman and resident said.
“In the absence of regular patrolling by police, anti-social activities in the locality have substantially gone up. Number of thefts, burglaries and snatchings have increased manifold,” many residents said.
On being contacted, Cuttack DCP Prateek Singh said, “CDA Sector 13 is a newly developed locality. There have been no such reports of rise in thefts or any other offences. As the residents feel isolated, they have requested to step up night patrolling in the locality. However, the local police have been keeping a strict vigil on criminal activities.”
An additional platoon of force has been deployed in Sector 13 locality to conduct regular surveillance and to take other security-related steps especially during night hours. The local residents have no reason to feel scared, the DCP Singh further said.
After the under-construction Naraj aid-post is completed expectedly by the end of January, police can better carry out surveillance activities in the locality. Moreover, there are plans to deploy more force in CDA Sector 13 area,” the DCP Singh informed.
PNN