Kochi: The Kochi city police have tightened the security ahead of New Year and will monitor boats, cinema halls, tourist spots, shopping malls, backwaters, waterfront and resorts. A special control room has been opened with helpline numbers. A special team consisting of 1,500 cops would monitor the city.
A police team led by City Police Commissioner M.P. Dinesh and Deputy City Police Commissioner Arul B. Krishna will monitor the celebrations. In a press release, they said the Abkari Act will be strictly implemented. To curb drug abuse, a special team would be deployed which will patrol the city till the morning of January 1.
Stringent action will be taken against drug peddlers and users of drugs. Persons in the list of drug abuse offenders would also be monitored. A separate police team is on the look-out to check drunken driving.
Women cops and plainclothes officials would be posted for duty. Small resorts and home stays and backwaters will be monitored. Security would be provided for all the tourists in the city and 100-odd police jeeps would be deployed.
A separate police team under the Mattanchery ACP would monitor the situation in Fort Kochi. This is for the first time the city police will be keeping a tight vigil ahead of New Year. Recently, the cops had issued guidelines for the conduct of DJ parties in the city and put them under police radar.
