They are supposed to keep traffic moving, untangle gridlocks and enforce road rules. But on Dhaka’s crowded streets, traffic police are increasingly finding themselves in a different role — chasing snatchers, recovering stolen valuables and detaining people accused of other crimes.

Positioned at major intersections and busy roads, traffic personnel often have something that crime investigators do not have at the moment a street crime occurs: proximity.

Recent incidents show traffic police responding within minutes — and sometimes seconds — when snatching takes place in front of them, with pedestrians and local residents joining the pursuit.

DMP Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed recently directed police to maintain round-the-clock surveillance in areas vulnerable to snatching, alongside stronger intelligence activities and regular anti-crime drives.

And the traffic division’s own figures suggest that its role in street-level crime prevention is becoming increasingly visible.

According to DMP Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Anisur Rahman, traffic police detained 33 alleged snatchers between May and July this year — eight in May, eight in June and 17 in July.

The figures do not include the many traffic-law cases filed during the period, underlining the scale of the division’s day-to-day deployment across the capital.

“We all work together. This is truly a matter of relief and pride for us,” Anisur Rahman told UNB.

He said traffic personnel have been working alongside DMP’s crime divisions and local police stations while continuing their regular responsibility of maintaining traffic discipline.

A snatcher runs — a traffic sergeant gives chase

One of the clearest examples came on Aug 20 in Kamalapur.

Around 10:10am, a man identified as Sahed, 25, allegedly snatched an earring from a woman in front of the Miami bus counter on the main road.

He reportedly tried to swallow the earring after taking it.

A traffic sergeant stationed in Kamalapur area under the Sabujbagh Traffic Zone noticed the incident and, assisted by local people, chased and detained him.

Sahed was later handed over to Motijheel Police Station for legal action.

Three days earlier, a similar incident occurred at Mirpur-12 intersection.

On Aug 17, a traffic sergeant saw a man fleeing after allegedly snatching a woman’s bag and mobile phone.

The officer chased the suspect, identified as Liton Sheikh, 20, with assistance from pedestrians.

The bag and mobile phone were recovered and returned to the victim before Liton was handed over to Pallabi Police Station.

On Aug 15, Traffic Sergeant Rana Pal was on duty near the traffic police box close to Golap Shah Mazar when he saw a man snatch a gold chain from a woman travelling in a moving rickshaw.

He chased and detained the suspect, identified as Monir Hossain, 36.

Police later recovered the stolen chain based on information provided by him and returned it to the victim before handing him over to Shahbagh Police Station.

These cases share a common feature: the officer did not have to wait for a complaint to reach a police station.

The crime happened in front of the officer — and the response began immediately.

33 alleged snatchers held in three months

DMP data show that traffic police detained eight alleged snatchers in May, another eight in June and 17 in July.

In May, members of the DMP's traffic department also recovered three mobile phones, three gold items, Tk 16,800 in cash, two CNG-run autorickshaws, two motorcycles and three locally made weapons. One child and a victim were also rescued, while two alleged thieves were detained during the times between May 1-31.

In June, traffic police recovered two mobile phones, 40 bhori of gold, rescued two children, Tk 56,950 in cash, Tk 1,000 in counterfeit notes, 5,500 yaba pills, four cans of beer and a motorcycle. Four locally made weapons were also recovered and three alleged thieves were arrested during the period between June 1-30.

The July figures show a wider range of crime-prevention activities. Traffic police recovered a pistol, 144.25kg of cannabis, 199 bottles of Phensedyl, a private car, two autorickshaws, a pickup van, 11 mobile phones, two gold items, Tk 1,895 in cash and two locally made weapons.

 During the month, they also detained a person allegedly impersonating a police officer, a suspected drug dealer and a suspected rapist, besides three alleged thieves. Two missing children were rescued, while six cattle and two goats were recovered.

Why traffic police are in a unique position

Traffic police are not primarily responsible for investigating snatching, robbery, drug trafficking or other conventional criminal cases.

Those responsibilities generally lie with DMP’s crime divisions and the police stations concerned.

But traffic personnel are deployed precisely where street crimes are likely to occur — at intersections, bus stops, markets and other crowded public places.

That makes them an important first-response layer.

The DMP has eight traffic divisions — Gulshan, Lalbagh, Mirpur, Motijheel, Ramna, Tejgaon, Uttara and Wari — giving traffic personnel a wide operational presence across the capital. DMP itself maintains separate traffic and crime-policing structures, with its website listing traffic services as well as crime information and case-follow-up functions .

Their routine work also puts them in constant contact with thousands of pedestrians and motorists.

That visibility can make a difference in a snatching case, where the suspect’s escape route may be determined within seconds.

Dhaka’s crowded streets favour the quick responder

A snatcher on a motorcycle or rickshaw can disappear into a side street almost instantly.

A pedestrian victim may be too shocked to react and other people may hesitate to intervene.

But a uniformed traffic officer already standing at an intersection can immediately raise an alarm, chase the suspect or direct nearby people to block an escape route.

The recent Kamalapur and Mirpur cases demonstrate how public participation can amplify that response.

At the same time, police officials need to ensure that such interventions remain within the law and that suspects are properly handed over to the relevant police station for investigation.

Traffic police are doing more than traffic

The recent cases are not isolated examples of traffic personnel becoming involved in non-traffic matters.

On Aug 18, DMP Traffic Mirpur Division, in cooperation with the Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO), conducted an operation against illegal electricity connections being used to charge battery-run rickshaws.

The operation resulted in the disconnection of 25 illegal connections and seizure of 70 batteries.

In Jatrabari, traffic police also detained a man accused of collecting money from rickshaw-pullers while falsely identifying himself as a journalist. He was later handed over to Jatrabari Police Station.

Meanwhile, the traffic division continues its core enforcement responsibilities on a massive scale.

DMP filed 38,284 cases for traffic-law violations in May, according to a DMP briefing. The figure included 672 cases generated through an AI-based enforcement system, with Tk 8.71 crore realised in fines.

In July, DMP traffic police filed another 2,240 cases in a single enforcement drive aimed at ensuring traffic discipline, reducing congestion and improving road safety.

So the emerging crime-prevention role is being added to an already extensive workload rather than replacing it.

A new layer in Dhaka’s policing

The changing role of traffic police also reflects a broader shift in how Dhaka is approaching street crimes.

The current push against snatching is more targeted. The DMP commissioner has instructed police to maintain continuous surveillance in vulnerable areas and strengthen intelligence activities against criminals involved in snatching and drugs.

Traffic police can complement that strategy because they are already present on the streets.

The first uniform a victim may see

For an ordinary commuter, the first police officer encountered after a snatching may not be an investigator or a patrol officer.

It may be the traffic sergeant standing at the nearest intersection.

That is turning traffic personnel into an informal first line of defence against street crimes — not because their mandate has fundamentally changed, but because their physical presence puts them closest to many crimes as they happen.