NEW DELHI: Lieutenant governor V K Saxena held a conference on Tuesday with the police brass, including commissioner Sanjay Arora, and the district deputy commissioners of police. He did some plain speaking while red-flagging police corruption at the district level. Mentioning some recent street crimes that had left the city shocked, the LG urged the DCPs to step up to the challenge and bridge the gaps in policing.Saxena also spoke about the Kanjhawala incident, the murder of ASI Shambhu Dayal by a snatcher and the recent shootings and snatchings during the evening rush hour that resulted in two deaths. “The incidents somehow exhibit glaring lacuna in policing at the field level and the DCPs need to look into this and rectify the situation immediately,” the LG said.While underlining that Delhi stood at third spot nationally for violent crimes and second for crimes against women despite Delhi Police’s strength of 81,000, the LG stressed on the need of “traditional policing”. He said, “Merely adding CCTV cameras, installing state-of-the-art technology and depending on e-solutions will not help improve the law-and-order situation and boost safety. One cannot ignore traditional policing. The DCPs and SHOs must visibly patrol their areas, interact with residents’ and market welfare associations, senior citizens, youth and all vulnerable segments.”Saxena also highlighted the bane of delayed FIRs or their non-registration entirely, saying he had received a huge number of petitions on this issue. He asked the DCPs to go the extra mile though policing at the district level is hard work.He recognised the limits placed on the cops by resource constraints and lack of commensurate remunerations. “I commend and appreciate your work despite this,” he said. “However, I would be failing in my duties if I simultaneously do not red-flag the taint on the police administration, especially at the district level, which is more than on other arms of civil administration. Corruption taints police administration like nothing else. I would like to emphasise, therefore, that this malice has to be and can be handled by leaders at all levels, more so in the districts.”Saxena recalled how police departments around the world were adapting to the emerging socio-economic demands and adopting new ways of operation. Police organisations must rapidly innovate and implement new strategies to keep citizens safe, he added.The LG stressed on the necessity of “visible policing” too and its results. “You are to be visible and present on the roads and the streets round the clock,” Saxena said. “While this acts as a deterrence, it also instills confidence among people. Any laxity proves catastrophic, as the recent unfortunate incident in Kanjhawala showed. This cannot be tolerated.”The LG praised Delhi Police for technological initiatives like filing of e-FIRs, smart arm licences, Police Clearance Certificate, mobile apps for women and senior citizens, etc. He pressed for “gender sensitive policing” and adopting a humane approach towards complainants. He remarked, “A citizen who approaches the thana, chowki or the beat officer should be a prime concern. A complainant, already under duress and strain, deserves to be handled with sensitivity. High handedness, which is a common complaint about police, has to go.”
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/spurt-in-crime-lg-red-flags-police-graft-at-district-level/articleshow/98130774.cms
