Fall in crime detection rate

Just as crime rates are showing an upward trend their detection also seems to have become increasingly difficult for the police in the city. One of the major factors is the lack of information on culprits. " It is a complicated process to trace inter-State and inter-district offenders as well as criminals among the migrant population," said S. Anandakrishnan, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Kannur Range.

Only 195 cases have been detected out of the total of 671 cases pertaining to dacoity, robbery, housebreaks (day and night) and ordinary thefts registered at the various police stations in the city in 2006. This is less than 30 per cent as a whole while the detection rate at some of the police stations is even less than 25 per cent.

No cases have been detected at the Beypore police station while at the Mavoor station it is one, Kunnamangalam 4, Marad 3 and Elathur 9. Although 99 cases have been reported at the Town station only 24 have been detected. Likewise, only 24 cases have been detected at the Kasaba station, 27 at Nadakkavu station and 31 at the Medical College station even though the number of cases reported at the stations stood at 80,101 and 109 respectively.

Mr. Anandakrishnan said that another factor contributing to the low detection rate of cases was shortage of staff. There was no proportionate increase in the police force with the increase in population. Besides the detection of cases depends on the individual officers and supervision by senior officials.

Station house officers are usually made accountable in this regard. Their performances are reviewed at monthly, quarterly and annual meetings held at the Commissioner's level, DIG level and IGP levels. Disciplinary actions are usually taken after these review meetings and inspections, he said.

However, most of the cases go undetected also on account of the lack of supervision and motivation of senior officials, including Circle Inspectors and the Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACP). Kozhikode city has six Circle Inspectors and two ACPs exclusively for maintaining law and order. "Supervision also needs to be strengthened so as to improve the detection of cases," Mr. Anandakrishnan said.

The Town, Kasaba and Cheruvannur circles come under the jurisdiction of the South ACP while the Medical College, Nadakkavu and Chevayur circles come under the North ACP.

The jurisdiction of Kozhikode City Police Commissioner comprises the entire area of Kozhikode city, Feroke, Ramanattukara, Kadalundy, Beypore, Cheruvannur-Nallalam, Olavanna, Thalakkulathur, Kakkodi, Kuruvattor, Madavoor, Perumanna and Peruvayul grama panchayts.