Chennai police bring down criminal activities in the city through special drives

As part of efforts to make Chennai city a safer place for women and children, the police, in association with private companies, have planned to install 20,000 CCTV cameras at a cost of ₹1.50 crore

The Greater Chennai Police have brought down murder for gain, robbery and theft with its drive against rowdy elements (DARE), drive against crime offenders (DACO), efficient patrolling and more coverage of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras. 

Though the number of murders committed in the city stood at 97 in 2022, as against 94 in 2021, the number of murders due to enmity had gone down to 20 in 2022 from 36 in 2021. The number of murder for gain was only four in 2022 as against 10 in 2021, according to a release.

DARE and DACO helped in keeping a tab on history-sheeters and criminal gangs. Under DARE, the 12 Deputy Commissioners grouped history-sheeters under four categories based on criminal offences. The police arrested 74 history-sheeters, including C.D. Mani, Kaakka Thoppu Balaji, Ennore Dhanasekaran and Arcot Suresh, under these special drives, said a senior police officer.

Under DARE and DACO, the police arrested 424 history-sheeters under the Goondas Act in 2022, as against 270 in 2021, and detained nearly 7,200 accused persons for security reasons in 2022, as against 4,991 persons in 2021. 

The rate of recovery of stolen goods increased to 72% in 2022 from 59% in 2021, though the solving of thefts was went down by 3% in 2022 from 78% in 2021. 

Pointing to the importance of the CCTV cameras in helping the investigation officers solve crimes, the police officer said the police had completed geo-tagging of the 60,997 CCTV cameras and repaired 11,468 cameras at a cost of ₹1.17 crore during 2021-22.