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Parking space beside the highway

Mangaluru: There are 21 police stations within Mangaluru Police Commissionerate limits of which, five police stations do not have their own building and are functioning from rented out buildings. What is unique is that of the five police stations, two do not have their own parking space; hence the police vehicles and the various other seized vehicles have to be parked beside the National Highway 75.

With the ACP office in a private building, along with four traffic and CCB and Cyber police station, altogether there are 21 police stations within Mangaluru Police Commissionerate limits. Of them Mangaluru Rural, Kankanady Town, Traffic South, Traffic North, CCB police stations and South Assistant Commissioner (ACP) are functioning from rented out private buildings. CCB police station is functioning from a building belonging to the Port Department, while the Traffic North Police Station is functioning from APMC building and the remaining 3 police station and an ACP’s office function from a private building.

Station relocated to provide space for road

From the beginning, CCB police station has been functioning from the building belonging to Port Department. Mangaluru Rural police station was initially functioning from its own building at Kaikamba near Bikarnakatte. But, when the highway and flyover were being constructed, the station gave space for the road and since there was a lack of space for itself; it was temporarily relocated to a private building at Maroli.

For almost two years the police station functioned from there, however considering the station’s jurisdiction spread over a large area, it was divided and specifically the Kankanady town police station was created. This new police station started functioning from a private a building at Nagori since the last one-and-a-half year.  Later, the Rural Police Station was shifted to a private building at Vamanjoor from where it is functioning presently.

Creation of a new police station

The newly created Mangaluru City South Traffic Police station started function from a private building at Garodi near Nagori from September 10th 2017. This traffic police station also has jurisdiction over Kankanady Town, Ullal, Konaje and Mangaluru Rural police stations which are for Law and Order. The total limits of this police station is spread over 43 kms till Talapady in the South, Boliyar and Malluru in the west and till Bondel in the North. Three national highways (NH 66, 75, 169) come within the limits of this station. Also the junctions which are notorious for traffic problems including Nanthoor, Pumpwell and Thokottu come within the jurisdiction of this police. These junctions are known for traffic jams and accidents. For a station with such a massive jurisdiction, it does not have its own building neither the parking space. Hence the police vehicles and all the seized vehicles have to be parked on the roadside.

The situation of Kankanady Town police station is also the same and this is causing a impediment to the free flow of the traffic. Already, there have been many complaints from the people regarding this issue. This issue has also been put forth during the police phone-in programme.

No place within the city

Since there is a lack of government land within the city limits, the police stations do not have their own buildings. The corporation is also not providing any support in this direction, says police commissioner T R Suresh. There is space at Padil belonging to the Silk Board and a proposal has been sent to provide the space for Kankanady Town and Traffic South Police Station. But they are reluctant to provide it. Now a letter will be written to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) requesting him to provide space for the two police stations at Padil.

A letter has been written to the DC

“Space has been provided in Vamanjoor for the rural police station to have its own building. Traffic North Police station has been recently transferred the APMC building at Baikampady. A letter has been written to the DC to provide space for Kankanady Town Police station and Traffic South Police station at Padil. Since the DC office building is being created at Padil, it will also be beneficial to have the police station in its vicinity,” informed T R Suresh, Police Commissioner.