Date:30/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/30/stories/2008113060630300.htm

Kerala - Kochi

City Police to form strike force

Anand Haridas

The existing mechanism cannot meet a terror attack

KOCHI: The City Police are trying to prepare a strike force and enhance its information gathering network to improve its defence against terrorist strikes.

The City Police are planning to prepare one platoon ready with commando training. The assistance of Naval Commandos will be sought for this.

“This force will be enough to hold on (during a terrorist strike) before the specialist forces move in,” said Manoj Abraham, City Police Commissioner.

Right now, the manpower of the City Police is used up for Sabarimala special duty. This means, the force will have to wait till the season is over before the personnel for commando training are picked up.

Flaws in the system

Even while the nation has gone on high alert, senior police officials in the city are doubtful whether the city is prepared to counter a terrorist strike like the one that happened in Mumbai.

With the information gathering mechanism still relying on age-old techniques of tapping personal contacts of policemen, some of the senior officials are sceptical about the results.

Similarly, the existing mechanism is no way near being equipped to meet a development like the one in Mumbai, it is pointed out. Along with equipping the force with hi-tech weapons, better coordination between various departments should be there to meet exigencies.

Completion of projects like the International Container Transhipment Terminal at Vallarpadam would make the city more like Mumbai, in terms of floating population and industrial activities.

It is said that the officers are not even sure about the protocol to be followed if a terrorist attack occurs.

As a first step, the City Police convened a meeting of Kerala Hotel and Bar Association members on Thursday and a meeting of homestay and boat owners and tour operators on Friday.

Even though the meeting was convened as part of the security arrangements ahead of the Volvo Ocean Race, the participants were urged to do a security audit and install security mechanism in place. Along with Mr. Abraham, Deputy City Police Commissioner T. Vikram and Assistant Commissioner C. Jayachandran Nair attended the meeting.

During Friday’s meeting, boat operators were asked to be on the look-out for suspicious boats or passengers and the police urged tour operators to be alert about the movement of foreign tourists.