Outlining a slew of measures to be taken by the Delhi police to tackle menacing traffic problems, the Delhi police commissioner Bhim Sain Bassi on Monday said that guns will be given to 1,000 traffic
Outlining a slew of measures to be taken by the Delhi police to tackle menacing traffic problems, the Delhi police commissioner Bhim Sain Bassi on Monday said that guns will be given to 1,000 traffic officials in the city in view of rising instances of attacks on traffic personnel and for handling of emergencies in the national capital.
“Pistols will be given to 1,000 traffic officials, especially the ones deployed at certain vulnerable zones, to deal with untoward incidents and emergencies. This is a move towards capacity building and the arms are likely to be handed over to the officials by next month,” Mr Bassi said.
Senior police officials said that cases of road rage and violence, in which the victims were traffic personnel, witnessed in the past two years prompted this decision.
Besides, helicopters will be used for round-the-year aerial surveillance, mostly to monitor and regulate traffic during peak hours, by the next year. “The proposal regarding full-time use of helicopters for aerial surveillance has been drafted and it is likely to be put into operation by next year. We have planned to take helicopters from Pawan Hans Ltd on rental basis for the purpose,” Mr Bassi said at the annual conference of the Delhi police.
The Delhi traffic police had last year used helicopters for aerial surveillance on three occasions — Durga idol immersion, Diwali eve and security during India-Africa summit.
In October, a traffic police official suffered severe injuries after being hit by a speeding car in southeast Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin area. The injured official along with four others were deployed at a picket for conducting night checking.
In September, a traffic constable sustained severe injuries after being hit by a speeding truck at a police picket near Delhi Cantonment area.
In July, two traffic constables were brutally thrashed by members of a family, who were later joined by a mob, when they stopped two minors riding a motorcycle, in northeast Delhi’s Gokulpuri area. In the same month, five traffic police officials were seriously injured when a car rammed into a barricade set up by them in north Delhi’s Civil Lines area. The driver, who was suspected to be in a drunken state and was trying to escape by overspeeding, was arrested after the incident.
