Kolkata: Police-residents WhatsApp groups are quickly replacing age old block committee meetings in Salt Lake in the post-Covid world as residents in the township are demanding more interaction with cops following daring robbery attempts at multiple households last week.
Block committee meetings, where residents of particular Salt Lake blocks met with senior police officers at their community centres discussing everything from security measures to road conditions and safety of elderly residents, had been a regular activity for decades. However, post-Covid the frequency of such meetings dipped because of the safety protocols. With elections due in two weeks, the officers stressed no fresh meetings can be planned.
“We cannot hold such mass interaction programmes in closed community halls with elderly residents at present. In turn, we have increased our activity and interaction on WhatsApp groups where residents can directly voice their grievances and needs to the officers of the local police station,” said a senior officer of the Bidhannagar commissionerate.
Last Monday, a group of burglars had targeted at least four houses at AH block in Salt Lake but had fled the scene injuring two policemen, following a timely alert by a group of neighbours.
Elderly residents of the township said that they often find it unsafe to stroll out even during daytime. “The robbery attempt at AH block has been a chilling reminder for me when a miscreant had snatched away a gold chain from my neck some years back in broad daylight. Police patrolling should increase,” said octogenarian Krishna Chakraborty, resident of IA block.
A few block committees are continuing with the night guard system. “The interactions need to be expedited. But we realise the limitations in physical meetings because of Covid protocols. Hence we have expedited our interactions with the officers of Bidhannagar north police station over WhatsApp and calls,” said AA block committee secretary Partha Chakraborty.
According to cops, the residents also need to instal CCTV cameras. “We have been telling the residents in past meetings to instal CCTVs on the lanes and bylanes of the blocks. However, very few have listened,” said another official.
While AE Block Samaj Kalyan Sangha secretary Tapas Sengupta feels installing CCTV cameras and regular maintenance is a challenge, some have actually taken the measures. “We have installed eight CCTV cameras in the BE block community centre and plan to install wireless CCTVs on 10 entry points of the block,” said BE block Nagarik Sangha secretary Narottam Dutta.
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