Delhi Police strength needs to be augmented

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n Delhi police is in need of 59 new police stations, many new localities like Rohini and Dwarka do not have adequate presence of policemen. For round-the-clock watch on criminals, there is a need for 4,350 head constables and 8,700 constables. However, Delhi police has only 1,180 head constables and 2,472 constables, thus putting extra pressure on the police force.

It expressed dismay that the Centre is considering a proposal to set up only 19 police stations against the requirement of 59. Due to the shortage of police personnel, the existing force is required to work for more than 12 hours a day without getting a weekly off and this has cast an adverse effect on their overall performance.

Law and order and internal security are very delicate matters and no compromises on these issues are desirable at any cost, the report observes.

The police commissioner in Delhi, in his deposition before the committee, stated that out of the 53,000 police force, 11,000 personnel are deployed for auxiliary services like wireless operations, ministerial cadre and other purposes and the remaining force is executive policemen.

Since 1987, there has been no increase in police stations although the population has witnessed a massive increase from eight million to 16.3 million.

Delhi has also the highest slum population. Quoting official figures, the commissioner stated that 40 per cent of the population lives in slums, where the crime rate has also increased marginally.

* The committee observed that the the problem of managing traffic on the roads is serious, requiring gigantic efforts. The number of vehicles in the Capital outnumber those in three other major metros — Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai.

It is therefore essential to augment the fleet of traffic police. The committee expressed surprise as to why the strength of the traffic police cannot be maintained at the required level. It expressed “serious concern with the bureaucratic delay in sanctioning of the proposal for creation of the posts”. In view of the volume of traffic, it is not wise to manage it through home guards, who are not qualified to regulate the traffic in an efficient manner.

The committee asked the Centre to undertake an exercise to assess the requirement of additional manpower.

The casualty rate in road accidents is very high and hundreds of people die in accidents. In many cases accident victims die due to non-availability of immediate medical aid.

* The committee recommended that the police personnel should possess knowledge of first-aid. This can render valuable service to the accident victims. NGOs and automobile associations should be involved in this exercise.

The committee observed that the functioning of the police system leaves much to be desired and periodically it has come in for severe criticism from different quarters.

* It strongly feels that implementation of the National Police Commission recommendation needs to be accorded top priority, “The committee does not know the factors responsible for delaying their implementation.”

The committee was informed that a “Crime Watch Scheme” was launched by the Delhi police, under which any person, without disclosing his identity, can inform the police about a crime or criminal. A special desk has been formed for this purpose in the police control room. The committee stated that the scheme encouraged participation of the public in controlling the crime in their neighbourhood and also in nabbing the persons involved in unlawful activities.

It urged the government to give good publicity to such innovative schemes to involve public in arresting the crime.