K Periaiah, who assumed charge on Saturday afternoon as Coimbatore City Police Commissioner has said that steps to prevent criminal activities would be his priority.

He succeeds A Amalraj who has been posted as Tiruchirapalli City Police Commissioner.

Periaiah was Additional Commissioner (traffic), Greater Chennai Police, prior to this.

He told mediapersons today that he would do all possible to prevent crimes in the city. Traffic regulation would also be on the top of his priority list. He added that he would in association with the Coimbatore Corporation try his best to ensure that potholes are filled and road accidents are reduced.

During the recent floods in Chennai, the joint efforts of the police and the Chennai Corporation helped in reducing hardship of the people and this was well appreciated by all, Periaiah said.

Coimbatore is not new to the new commissioner who was a student of the agriculture university here between 1982 and 1988. He played for Coimbatore district football team in 1985 and was captain of the university hockey team.

Periaiah had also bagged the Mr Agriculture University and Mr Madras University titles. He joined the force in 1989 and got IPS in 1997.