Following specific intelligence inputs on threat from Maoists, the Kolkata police have asked its traffic sergeants to deposit their service revolvers at the police station where they are posted before leaving for home after daily duty.

As per an order issued by Police Commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakraborty, these sergeants will now collect arms from the police stations after making an entry in the register and return it in the same way. Earlier, sergeants used to collect their service revolvers from the Traffic Guard offices in the city.

“We have intelligence inputs warning of Maoist attacks in the city. The order has been issued so that service revolvers that the traffic sergeants carry cannot be looted. Generally, they remain on duty on the roads and are more susceptible to the attack,” said the commissioner.

A senior traffic police officer, however, said the same should be extended to the officers at the sub-inspector level and above. “The arrangement should be made applicable to all sub-inspectors who, like traffic sergeants, often carry their service revolvers with them. There are many sub-inspectors in the city who carry these revolvers that can be looted any time,” said a traffic police officer.

Police sources said an order was expected soon to upgrade security at police stations in the city in view of the Maoist threat. Specific security measures like placing sand bags and posting armed sentries round the clock are likely to be taken.

“A meeting of senior state and city police officers was held. There are proposals for installing CCTV cameras in all police stations. Moreover, the police stations need to have at least two vaults to store the arms and ammunition,” said a senior police officer.

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