CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Police (GCP) said that 8,000 police personnel will be deployed across the city to regulate crowds at churches and at areas of public gathering like Marina Beach and Elliots Beach for Christmas celebrations.

Apart from the city police, volunteers from the Tamil Nadu Home Guards will also be deployed to assist them on bandobast duty.

Since devotees would begin visiting churches from Christmas eve onwards, cops have been working in shifts from Tuesday evening, police said. In Chennai, there are 350 churches including the more popular Santhome Church in Mylapore, Velankanni in Besant Nagar, St Antony’s in Parrys, and St George Cathedral on Dr Radhakrishnan Salai among others.

Police personnel in plain clothes will be monitoring the crowd to nab pickpockets and also prevent incidents of harassment of women, police said. Teams will also be monitoring CCTVs at crowded areas and the drone unit will also be added to the surveillance.

The city cops will patrol the beaches in All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) to prevent the public from entering into the sea. The GCTP too has made arrangements to regulate traffic and also facilitate parking.