Residents of Margao and nearby areas seem to feel unsafe and insecure due to the unresponsiveness on the part of the men-in-uniform especially at night, their delay in reaching out to the people and the increasing number of crimes in the town.
The story stemmed out of a problem that rose late Friday evening. A journalist complained of a random vehicle parked into his porch in the wee hours by some unknown persons. The cops on the PCR from the Margao Town Police assured to come and take cognizance of the situation and keep a check on the house. But they never arrived.
“We will send a vehicle and some policemen to oversee the situation, you don’t worry,” said Havaldar Vrishak Gaonkar, on the night shift, but the cops never came.
When inquired with the neighbours, it was revealed that the previous week some anti-socials were drinking and causing nuisance in the neighbourhood but the cops never turned up until two hours later when the situation went out of control.
“Every night we have the guys, who come in our lane, smoke and drink in the open and litter the place with garbage but the cops fail to act. It’s shocking to see that there are no cops patrolling at night,” said Reva Cardozo, a Borda resident.
Similarly, Joaquim Dias tells us how a massive ladder was stolen from a house in his neighbourhood and that he feels insecure at night.
“I informed the cops and guess how they keep a check on my neighbourhood. Every alternate day, a cop comes at night and whistles for ten minutes and then goes back. Insensible as it sounds, if anyone is in the area, they will hide for ten minutes and come out again. Anyone, be it thieves or anti-socials,” Joaquim added.
“The cops in Margao are believed to only rely on verification and there is no patrolling at night. Excuses of no vehicle, no fuel sanctioned and lack of staff are the excuses that the cops give. There is no patrolling whatsoever even post BRICS in most parts of Fatorda,” said Jesrin Lotlikar, a resident of Chandrawaddo.
“Bike thefts, petrol thefts and robberies are on the rise in the commercial capital. Anti-socials too roam around the Fatorda stadium and drink and cause nuisance as many bars and wine shops sell liquor beyond 10 pm. The cops have failed to clamp down on these activities,” pointed out 61-year-old Ignatius D’Souza from Aquem, who also complained of a theft in his garden and that the cops did nothing to nab the culprits.
“The then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and the Fatorda MLA had “boasted” of sanctioning a police station in Fatorda but nothing has been done in this regard,” a Borda resident said adding that visiting an ATM after 10 pm is unsafe.
