Delhi Police chief calls for security audit of parks, open spaces

In the order, Patnaik said that after conducting the survey, the DCPs should send a report with recommendations for improvement to the agencies concerned.

Delhi Police, Delhi crime rate, Delhi Commissioner, Amulya Patnaik, Delhi parks security, Indian Express

According to an officer, Patnaik also emphasised on regular patrolling — both in the morning and evening (Express photo/Abhinav Saha)

Concerned over parks in the capital becoming “hubs of crime”, Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik has directed the 14 DCPs to conduct a “security review” of all major open spaces. The directive — which states that all “dark stretches” where crimes are reported from should be identified — was issued at the recently held crime review meeting at the Delhi Police headquarters in ITO. In the order, Patnaik said that after conducting the survey, the DCPs should send a report with recommendations for improvement to the agencies concerned.

He has also asked the DCPs to look into which areas need more lights, security guards, CCTV cameras, pruning of bushes or hedges and boundary walls. “Patnaik has also asked the DCPs to follow up with all the agencies concerned after sending their reports. Meanwhile, he has told the JCPs to take up the matter at the appropriate level,” a senior police officer said.

Patnaik has also told the officers to ensure that all gardeners, security guards and hawkers in and around the parks share details of movement of suspicious persons in the parks. “He also emphasised on regular patrolling — both in the morning and evening,” the officer added.

The move comes after a spate of crimes in the city’s parks. On January 13, a 24-year-old man was stabbed to death by four men for resisting a robbery bid inside a park in south Delhi’s Govindpuri. On December 16, 2017, a 16-year-old girl was gangraped while her male friend was beaten up and robbed at a park in northwest Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh.

Mahender Singh Manral

Mahender Singh Manral is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. He is known for his impactful and breaking stories. He covers the Ministry of Home Affairs, Investigative Agencies, National Investigative Agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, Law Enforcement Agencies, Paramilitary Forces, and internal security. Prior to this, Manral had extensively reported on city-based crime stories along with that he also covered the anti-corruption branch of the Delhi government for a decade. He is known for his knack for News and a detailed understanding of stories. He also worked with Mail Today as a senior correspondent for eleven months. He has also worked with The Pioneer for two years where he was exclusively covering crime beat. During his initial days of the career he also worked with The Statesman newspaper in the national capital, where he was entrusted with beats like crime, education, and the Delhi Jal Board. A graduate in Mass Communication, Manral is always in search of stories that impact lives. ... Read More

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