A disturbing report in the TOI talks about recent cases or murder, mugging, rape in the city, which have all seen an increase over the last few months. And the criminals apparently work overtime on weekends. If all this is really true, what are the police in the city doing I wonder? Shouldn’t they be working overtime too to catch these miscreants and gangs?

Another recent report talks about the gang of motorbike riders who threaten car drivers and follow them till they stop and then rob them of their belongings. If they are aware of the gangs operating in these particular areas, wouldn’t it make sense to put more police patrols in these areas? I have often had to travel on my own at night and sometimes don’t sight even a single reassuring patrol car on the streets.

Some people might argue that you should just stay indoors and not go out, but that is hardly the answer! The police definitely need to do more to make this city more safe. Especially since there are a lot of BPO organizations where employees work late.

Also, being a vibrant and active city, of course, people will be out late, especially during weekends. The police need to be more prepared. If they can have rules like shutting down pubs at 11pm in a city like Bangalore (MG Road is filled with patrol cars and cops all of a sudden at this time), maybe they should divert some of their attention to what is happening elsewhere in the city suburbs too?

Catching a few of these miscreants will at least prove to be of some reassurance to Bangalore’s citizens. The least you want when you’re returning from a late night at work or elsewhere is a safe ride home. Even that cannot be taken for granted anymore and the crimes are getting more and more ghastly. I do hope that they manage to retain safe side of the city and not let it turn into another lawless place where people have to live indoors in terror and fear.