Traffic cops to get tactical training
Cyberabad police is now considering providing tactical training to its traffic police personnel. This training was earlier restricted to personnel in the law and order and crime wings.
If traffic constable Lingamurthy had been imparted the training he could have possibly helped save the life of J Ramesh, 24, who was killed in public view at Attapur in Rajendranagar on Wednesday.
Police constable Eswar Rao was killed by a fake Indian currency note circulation gang at Shamirpet on August 2, 2014. Sub-inspector Venkat Reddy of Balanagar police station escaped with injuries when a FICN gang attacked him with swords and knives. Following the incident, then Cyberabad police commissioner C V Anand introduced tactical training for police personnel, as there were also chain snatching gangs that used to injure policemen during their attempts to catch the offenders.
In 2016, Cyberabad police made it mandatory for policemen ranking from constable to sub-inspector to take part in tactical training which is close quarters combat training. Policemen working in law and order and crime wings were trained in several batches and the then joint commissioner Stephen Ravindra started the training sessions again.
However, police working in the traffic wing were not trained in close combat techniques which include weapon disarming, house intervention and retention techniques.
Cyberabad police commissioner V.C. Sajjanar said, "During the Rajendranagar incident, the traffic constable made his best efforts to stop the accused from killing the man, but they overpowered him. The other two constables who were heading to attend a crime incident were passing by. Before they could reach the spot, the person was killed. We will now train officials who have not received close combat techniques to use the same if any such incident takes place."
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the commissioner rewarded Lingamurthy for making efforts to stop the offence and asked people to support policemen during such incidents.