allahabad while the police have adopted citizengovernment partnership to safeguard city areas police stations the 75odd arms dealer shops where maximum number of licensed weapons are being deposited before elections pose a threat to police in fact police administration apart form safeguarding police stations with the help of volunteers are busy devising plans to protect arms shops where around 7000 licensed weapons have been deposited by holders ahead of polls with licensed weapons including sbbl dbbl and rifles being deposited in large numbers at arms shops officials fear for the safety of these shops which can be targeted by musclemen during polls cops therefore feel the need to provide adequate security to these shops according to police statistics so far 13506 out of 24349 licensed weapons have been deposited of these around 7000 arms have been deposited at private arms shops in fact weapon holders feel that their weapons are safer in arms shops in comparison to police stations from where it becomes a tedious task to get the weapons back though cops have assured holders that their weapons would be safe in the police stations arms shops remain the preferred choice superintendent of police city awadesh kumar vijeta told toi that they have created a security zone where maximum number of arms dealers shops are located and shiftwise mobile patrolling duties have been assigned to cops to ensure that these shops remain safe he added that apart from thana police patrolling parties have also been pressed into service for adequate patrolling he informed that senior cops have instructed thana incharges to make adequate arrangements and ensure foolproof security around arms shopsofficials meanwhile pointed out that owners of private arms shops too have taken some steps and have even deployed private security guards