Focus: US Intelligence Critical Of Security In Hyderabad

In view of the US prez Barack Obama's visit to India and other important IndoUS deliberations in Hyderabad, US intelligence is seriously concerned on security issues in Hyderabad. 

At a time of heightened security concerns following an abduction attempt on a top pharma executive and arrest of a terror accused in the city , the US Bureau of Diplomatic Security's (BDS) warning to its citizens on rising crimes, attacks on women and poor response of the city police assumes significance.

In its report, the BDS, which falls under the US department of state, warns that Hyderabad experiences “a full range of criminal activity“. “Petty crime, especially theft of personal property , is common,“ the report says.

The report is also critical of the response of the police post crime, saying, “Overall police assistance is mediocre by western standards, with a typical response time of 30 minutes or longer.“ In fact, after Wednesday's abduction bid at KBR Park, cops were seen at the scene much later after the suspect escaped.

The report goes on to elaborate that the number of attacks on women is also alarmingly high in the city , and the actual number of cases could be higher as some crimes go unreported.“Sexual attacks against female visitors in tourist areas underline the fact that foreign women are also at risk and should exercise vigilance. Women continue to report incidents of verbal and physical harassment by groups of men,“ says the report, which was uploaded in June this year but is still the mainstay of the travel advisory to US citizens. More than 2 lakh foreign tourists, many from the United States, visit Hyderabad every year.

The report further delves into traffic rules and enforcement. While the BDS points out that roads are in a moderately good condition, it said the city's infrastructure is struggling to keep up pace with its rapid growth.

“Although there are laws on speed, seatbelts, helmet wearing and drunk driving, they are poorly enforced,“ it says.

The issue of public security made an appearance in the Telangana assembly as well on Wednesday, with the opposition parties questioning the home minister on it. In his reply, Nayani Narasimha Reddy admitted that the recovery rates of robberies have come down to 60 per cent against 73 per cent last year. Presently, there have been 86 robberies and 1,187 cases of chain snatching.