Mysore/Mysuru: It looks like the chain-snatchers are committing crimes during the time when Police personnel’s shift changes.

Everyday, Police personnel on day shift are relieved from their duties between 8 pm and 9 pm by the night duty personnel and the Inspectors of all Police Stations give the night shift Police personnel their points of duty, timings to conduct night beats on which roads and places where they have to keep vigil.

By the time the Police Constables receive their duties and reach the points given to them, it will be 9.15 to 9.30 pm. This means that the chain snatchers after confirming that the Police personnel will be in their respective Police Stations between 8 pm and 9.30 pm, take to the streets, targeting women and snatch their gold chains.

On Wednesday night, bike borne chain snatchers have yanked off gold chains of women and made one futile attempt at N.R. Mohalla, V.V. Mohalla, Vijayanagar 2nd Stage and Saraswathipuram. It is to be noted that all the four incidents took place between 7.30 pm and 9.30 pm.

Taking this into consideration, the Police have now changed their shift change timings but have kept the time a secret. The Police personnel are keeping a hawk eye vigil over suspicious persons moving around on two-wheelers and also on foot 24 hours a day.

Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs) of Krishnaraja (KR) and Narasimharaja (NR) Sub-Divisions, yesterday held meetings with Inspectors, Sub-Inspectors, Crime team and ACP squad personnel of Police Stations coming under their Sub-Divisions. They have instructed the Police personnel to intensify night beats and also launch a hunt to trace and nab the chain snatchers.

Four chain snatching incidents in a single night is giving sleepless nights to the Police and tracing and nabbing the chain snatchers is like searching for a needle in a big lake. But it has become inevitable for the Police personnel to nab the chain snatchers no matter how hard it is.