Crimes during festivals
Introduction
In India, the festival season normally lasts from August through October. There are a number of festivals that begin at the beginning of the native calendar’s Sawan (Shrawan) month and continue through Diwali, which often occurs in the final week of October. Additionally, the observance of Eid and Independence Day contribute to the nation’s celebratory atmosphere. However, the combination of religion and celebration offers a chance for terrorist groups, extremist groups, and antisocial individuals to carry out their malicious actions in order to further their goals of causing rifts in society, inciting intergroup violence, and undermining harmony and peace. In addition, crowded places of worship and shopping malls provide a problem for crowd control and potential catastrophes like stampedes. In order to respond effectively throughout the festival time, security guarding companies that are in the lead at most sites need to be made aware of the situation.
In addition to these, there are a lot of other regional festivals, fairs, and celebrations that take place during this time that should be acknowledged and listed. Festival Season Features That Affect Security Guarding The following are a few oddities of the festival season that have an effect on security guarding in general:-
- The establishment of regional committees that construct enormous pandals with idols demonstrates significant public participation.
- Some occasions are celebrated over a period of time, often 8 to 10 days.
- large crowds attending Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Pooja ceremonies at temples and mosques, as well as visiting pandals.
- Processions for religious celebrations like Ganesh Chaturthi and Muharram are conducted.
- Local fairs typically draw sizable crowds, which puts a lot of strain on the city’s infrastructure.
- During the holiday seasons, there is an increase in the number of occurrences of eve teasing and assaults against women.
- There is a significant rush for shopping during the festival deals.
- Using harmful chemicals in confections and other products that can have a major negative impact on one’s health or even take one’s life.
- Drinking and driving while intoxicated is a highly serious offence that puts one’s life and the lives of others at danger.
- People with asthma may experience substantial health problems as a result of cracker use, and burning crackers can result in burns, severe burns, irreversible eyesight or hearing loss, and severe burns if not done properly.
Obstacles to Security and Safety
Antisocial elements use large crowds, heavy foot traffic, and the religious significance of festivals to cause trouble in order to further their goals of notoriety, causing strife in the community, and upsetting harmony.
- The use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and timed bombs at events and in religious settings could be envisaged as a means of achieving this goal. Additionally, this may be applied in crowded bazaars and shops.
- A new threat for the current year is the Lone Ranger armed or suicide attack. destruction of religious properties to stir up conflict.
- attacks on religious processions, especially when the processions travel through areas where members of other communities live.
- A new threat is posed by activities and responses to cow vigilante organisations.
- An increase in thefts and crime, notably in residential neighbourhoods, petty criminals working in bazaars and shopping malls, and high value establishments like those selling jewellery and electronics. catastrophes like stampedes and fires.
- Despite being on high alert and increasing their deployments throughout the time, government law enforcement agencies always have a shortage of personnel due to the numerous events that draw sizable audiences.
Cyber criminals build fake versions of popular online retailers like Amazon, Flipkart, and others while changing the name of the business. Typically, consumers who fall for these businesses do so because they believe they are dealing with reputable businesses. The most common crime during the festival season is this. Online retailers provide significant discounts. This method is used by plenty of fraudulent businesses. It is ideal for folks to monitor prior to making a purchase, to confirm the legitimacy of these internet retailers. Customers should research the goods and websites that are providing discounts for online purchases. They ought to look at the product reviews as well.
Don’t click the QR code, and don’t send the bare minimum to start the payment flow.
The QR code given by a third party should not be scanned by individuals. If a caller claims that it is important to begin the flow of transactions, they should also refrain from giving out their phone number in order to receive the minimal payment of just Rs 1, Rs 5, Rs 20, etc. Under the guise of sending Re 1, Rs 5, etc., fraudsters get the victim’s bank information and take their money.
Calls to persons in need
As a new trend in internet fraud, distress calls to older citizens whose wards have relocated abroad have surfaced. Fraudsters obtain the records of persons whose relatives have settled overseas from a variety of sources. People staying here receive panic calls from the authorities notifying them that their kid or daughter is in peril abroad. They use a mobile application to call unsuspecting people while displaying the caller’s phone number as being registered in the US, Canada, France, and other countries. People transfer money in a panic when they are given a demand for cash.
Conclusion
The government faces more difficulties during the festival season, thus proper planning and preparations are needed to provide effective and efficient security guarding and related measures. Preventive steps adopted will prevent both a security incident and a disaster, thus emphasis should be placed heavily on them.