Calangute MLA Michael Lobo has issued a strong call for the immediate resumption of intensive police night patrolling in his constituency. This demand comes in the wake of two back-to-back criminal incidents reported in the coastal village of Parra, which have raised serious concerns about public safety.
Back-to-Back Crimes Spark Alarm in Parra
The first incident occurred on Thursday night when the Nagnath Mahadev temple in Parra was targeted by thieves. Shortly after, on Saturday night around 10:30 PM, an even more alarming event unfolded. Four masked men allegedly attempted to break into a house in the same area while the family was away attending a wedding.
Only the daughter, a teacher, was present at home. She demonstrated remarkable presence of mind upon noticing the intruders cutting through the window grills to gain entry. By immediately raising an alarm and shouting for help, she successfully forced the would-be robbers to flee the scene. According to police, the accused had parked their motorcycles a short distance away, and the entire sequence of events was captured by the house's CCTV camera system.
MLA Lobo's Critique and Demands for Proactive Policing
Speaking to the media, MLA Michael Lobo expressed his frustration, stating that the installation of CCTV cameras alone is proving insufficient as a deterrent. He emphasized that the police must enhance their ground-level efforts to prevent such crimes.
"The police have to do their job better," Lobo asserted. "The policing that used to happen earlier is not happening today." He nostalgically recalled a time when police personnel were provided with motorcycles and actively engaged with communities. They would patrol neighborhoods, visit village spots, interact with residents, and gather local intelligence about suspicious activities.
A Call for Resources and Action
Lobo proposed concrete steps to improve the situation. He insisted that all newly recruited constables should be deployed for active patrolling duties rather than being confined to police stations. "They are only sitting in police stations. How will they go around on their bikes?" he questioned.
Highlighting a resource crunch, the MLA pointed out that one robot vehicle per station is inadequate for effective surveillance and response. He made a direct appeal to the Chief Minister, urging him to allocate at least five motorcycles to each police station in the region. This, according to Lobo, is essential to revive the old system of proactive, visible, and community-connected policing that he believes is currently missing.
The back-to-back incidents in Parra have clearly underscored a gap in night-time security, putting the spotlight on the need for a strategic revamp of local police patrol mechanisms to restore public confidence.
