Dramatic Crime Drop in Coimbatore
Coimbatore city has witnessed a remarkable transformation in law and order situation with crime rates plummeting by 60% during the first ten months of 2024 compared to the same period last year. The city recorded only 647 criminal cases between January and October this year, a significant drop from the 1,132 cases reported during the corresponding period in the previous year.
The Secret Weapon: Section 51A of Madras Police Act
The dramatic turnaround can be attributed to the strategic implementation of Section 51A of the Madras City Police Act, 1888. This powerful provision allows the police commissioner to issue externment orders, directing individuals deemed a threat to public safety to leave the city or specific areas for a specified period.
Commissioner of Police A Saravana Sundar, who assumed charge on January 1, wasted no time in deploying this preventive measure. "We have the provision to remove individuals involved in repeated criminal incidents and those who threaten the public under the Madras City Police Act," Sundar explained.
Systematic Crackdown on Repeat Offenders
The police launched a systematic campaign against anti-social elements:
- January 13: 27 individuals externed
- February: 83 individuals ordered to leave
- April: 29 people removed from city limits
- Recent orders: 16 more individuals externed
In total, 155 history-sheeters and anti-social elements have been externed from Coimbatore in the last ten months. The externment orders typically prohibit these individuals from entering the city for at least six months.
Comprehensive Surveillance and Enforcement
The police have established a multi-pronged approach to ensure the effectiveness of the externment strategy. Those who complete their externment period and return to the city remain under constant police surveillance. Plainclothes officers monitor their movements to prevent any return to criminal activities.
Seven individuals who violated externment orders have already been arrested and are currently lodged in Coimbatore Central Prison. Some repeat offenders who committed crimes after returning from externment have faced even stricter action, being detained under the stringent Goondas Act.
According to intelligence sources, many of the externed individuals have relocated to Coimbatore rural limits or the adjoining Palakkad district in Kerala. Two individuals who challenged their externment orders in the High Court saw their appeals dismissed, validating the police action.
Enhanced Patrolling and Public Safety
Simultaneously, the police have strengthened their ground presence through a 24x7 beat patrolling system. A total of 52 two-wheeler beat patrol teams operate across three shifts, providing round-the-clock surveillance throughout the city.
A senior police officer revealed that the crackdown has significantly reduced incidents of kangaroo courts, robbery, and drunken brawls in the city. The comprehensive strategy of preventive externment combined with enhanced visible policing has created a safer environment for Coimbatore residents, marking one of the most successful crime reduction initiatives in recent times.
