Concerned over the slum pockets’ turning into safe hideouts for petty criminals, the Chandigarh Police, in a new initiative, carried out what it called ‘night domination patrol drive’, in a thickly population slum area inhabited by the labourers on the outskirts in the south of the city last night.

The police post falling under the Sector-34 police station carried out the exercise at midnight for about two hours, extensively patrolling the Colony Number 5 which is considered to be a safe haven for many petty criminals.

“The area is inhabited by small-time workers and labourers and is very thickly populated. According to an estimate, over 60,000 people reside in this colony which has a labyrinth of passages inside it, making it difficult to carry out search operations,” said police post incharge Dilsher Singh Chandel.

The exercise was undertaken to make the presence of police felt even more strongly during nights so that the criminals have a reason to think twice before they carry out any unlawful activity in the area, he said.

As many as 40 personnel of the police and Home Guard were deployed in the exercise who patrolled the area on foot. In addition, the surrounding area where over a 50 housing societies are located, was patrolled by four police gypsies. Also, two heavy vehicles were used in the operation last night to meet with any exigency.

According to some precedents, the area has witnessed in the recent past, some petty criminals have made it their home and stalk the streets in and around the colony at night and indulge in different types of crime, Chandel said, explaining the reason why the area has a police post.

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