Don't you think the law and order situation in Thane district has deteriorated considerably in the last few months?

Statistics reveal that in the commissionerate's jurisdiction, which includes the civic bodies of Thane, Kalyan, Dombivli, Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi, Ambarnath and Belapur, only 48 murders have taken place till May 30, as against 74 reported during the corresponding period last year. Of these, 40 have been detected. However, 104 robberies have been reported this year, as against last year's figure of 76. I'm concerned about the rise in robberies and will endeavour to take preventive steps, particularly in chronically affected areas identified by my predecessor O P Bali.

What is the latestdevelopment in the Mohan Behrani shootout case?

We've got some definite leads in the case, and a few people have been nabbed, but we'll reveal information only later, because saying anything at this stage may hamper investigations.

I admit that not much information was forthcoming in the first 12 hours after the shootout. But the circumstances should also be considered. It was a weekend, and both Raghunath Khaire, Ulhasnagar DCP (Zone IV) who was indisposed, and Shrikant Savarkar, the neighbouring Kalyan-Dombivli DCP (Zone III), were not available. I was also away in Bhiwandi, visiting a police station.

Why do Thane police suffer in comparison with Mumbai's cops?

I can't make such sweeping generalisations, but I think some areas have to be attended to on a war footing.

The poor updating of crime records in Thane's police stations and the non-availability of detailed maps of problematic areas seriously affects surveillance activities. Apart from taking steps to solve these problems, we'realso working on improving the intelligence network, identifying staff with underworld links and taking action against them, and equipping the police force to deal more effectively with armed gangs. We have launched two assault vehicles last week and plan to have six of them in all.

Another point I've noticed is the low priority accorded to physical fitness by most police personnel. An overweight cop can't take on armed gangsters and anti-socials. It will be made mandatory for all overweight personnel to reduce weight through necessary treatment and exercise. Shabbily turned-out personnel and ill-kept police stations send wrong signals to citizens, and we'll enforce standards in this regard. Apart from this, I will also press for allocation of additional manpower.

People have lost their trust in the police force and are increasingly approaching mini-power centres in Thane to get their problems solved. Comment.

This may be true in some cases, but it can't be accepted as a generalisation. I feel moretrust-building exercises like the mohalla committees, where the community and police are brought together, will help. I've already asked police stations to hold meetings with citizens every week and send me the feedback every Monday.