Kolkata Police keeps tight vigil to ensure safe Christmas, New Year

Kolkata, Dec 24: As the mercury dips bringing in the chill and the air fills up with the aroma of cakes, the city is all decked up for a Christmas weekend. And for the safety of thousands of revellers, Kolkata Police is leaving no stone unturned.

Security in and around Park Street as well as the sensitive areas in the city has been tightened with additional police postings, a senior officer of the force told PTI.

Cops have divided the Park Street area into five zones with each zone coming under the surveillance of an officer of the deputy commissioner rank, he said.

"There will be 11 watch towers as well as 15 police assistance booths to keep a vigil. In fact, shops and showrooms on the Park Street will remain closed from 4 PM on Friday," the officer said.

Over 500 police personnel - both men and women - would be posted at the Park Street area.

Besides, there would be plainclothes policemen posted outside food-joints and the chain of restaurants in that area. Three Radio Flying Squads (RFS) including one solely comprising women police — would be present there.

Besides, Additional Heavy Radio Flying Squads and Quick Response Teams would also be on duty along Park Street. Lalbazar would keep a watch on the activities in the less than two-km long stretch of Park Street and elsewhere in the city via CCTVs.

Around 50 new CCTVs would be installed in the area and the footages would be conserved for future reference, he said.

"We have gone through CCTV footages of the crowd behaviour during Christmas in Park Street as well as in the city.

"We have studied the details on crowd movement at different time of the day and the type of crimes happening and as per inputs, we have made our security arrangements for December 24 and 25 and on December 31, the officer said.

"Police pickets will be posted at 80 different points in the city, which will be used to check vehicles," he said.

Policemen would also be deployed outside churches and plainclothes policemen at crowded places including shopping malls and clubs. Restaurants and food outlets have been asked to inform the police about celebrity visits and not to cross maximum footfall.

Movement of traffic on Park Street and some of its adjacent roads will be restricted from December 24 evening.

"Park Street will remain closed for all type of vehicular traffic between 4PM to 10PM on Friday. Vehicular traffic may also be regulated at and around the Indian Museum, Victoria Memorial, Birla Planetarium, Alipore Zoo, Kali temple at Kalighat and Millennium Park," the officer added.

PTI