Thiru S. Sarvesh Raj IPS: Young Leaders Energize City Police Force
Chennai: Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras with face recognition technology monitoring the streets, dedicated teams to crack long-pending criminal cases or a friendly DCP (deputy commissioner of police) assuring people about the safety of their neighborhood, policing in the city is getting dynamic with a fresh team of officers at the helm. Blending technology with interpersonal skills, the youngest-ever batch of six IPS officers are emerging as a promising bunch for the Chennai City Police.
A case in point is the significant dip in chain snatchings and thefts in T Nagar this Diwali. “Earlier, at least 40 to 50 cases of snatching were reported during Diwali season, but it has reduced considerably this year,” said a police officer, attributing the decline to better policing because of CCTV cameras with face recognition technology. “Using technology has helped us reduce the burden on the police. Digitising records has also aided in utilizing manpower efficiently,” says C Aravindhan, a computer science graduate, who introduced the idea of the CCTV technology.
At the other end of the city, C Kalaiselvan plans to have CCTV cameras in the whole of Madhavaram police district. “There are four arterial roads and many link roads. If we install CCTV cameras across these roads, no one can escape from the police purview after committing a crime,” says the 34-year-old postgraduate in agriculture. He believes that technology is a handy tool for the police.
Breaking the image of the authoritative cop, the young crop is ensuring that it is more accessible to the citizens and open to discussions regarding issues in the neighborhoods concerned. DCP Adyar Rohith Nathan believes in personal interactions and tries to meet people under his jurisdiction whenever possible. “Adyar is a cosmopolitan area, so interaction with residents will help to create a sense of a safe community,” says the 28-year- old mechanical engineer from Anna University.
His cousin S Sarvesh Raj, DCP of Ambattur, is also a mechanical engineer. Interested in crime detection, Sarvesh solved the 2013 Mangadu murder case where a woman was found killed in her house. The case had remained unsolved for the past four years. Meticulous planning is his strength but compassion his stimulus. “I want to create an environment where everyone is safe and happy,” said S. Sarvesh Raj, who was the assistant superintendent of police (ASP) in Dindigul.
The officers compete and brainstorm with each other to resolve issues. The eldest in the batch, Pravesh Kumar, believes in team work. A postgraduate in mechanical engineering from IIT Delhi, SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat) analysis is his mantra. “When I was the superintendent of police in Namakkal, I deployed a dedicated team to solve a triple murder case,” he said. Using dedicated teams has helped in reducing crime in his jurisdiction and is serving as a model for others.
Handling sensitive areas like Washermenpet and Kasimedu, known for rowdies and brawls among fisherfolk, IPS officer Sashank Sai falls back on his experience as ASP. “As an ASP in Tenkasi and Nagapattinam I have handled many criminals and dealt with issues relating to fishermen. Those areas have moulded me and helped me to handle fisherfolk in Kasimedu and rowdies in Washermenpet,” said Sashank, who studied mechanical engineering at the Institute of Aeronautical Engineering, Hyderabad, before joining the uniformed services.
Getting young guns was a strategy, says city police commissioner A K Viswanathan, who assumed charge in May amid the political turmoil in the state. “The youngsters are living up to new challenges and their novel problem solving ideas using technology is showing the way for the rest of the state,” he said.
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