In a bid to strengthen its commitment to ensure security of churches in the capital, the Delhi police has identified and assessed foolproof security measures for all 240 churches and plotted them on a map for planning and action purposes.
The move comes in the wake of the recent series of attacks on churches and allegations of vandalism by members of the community.
According to the data with the Delhi police, 161 churches have installed CCTV cameras and out of these 54 churches got cameras installed only on insistence of the police.
A senior police official said, “There are 240 churches in the city. The district commissioners of police and police station staff have been asked to make surprise visits to the churches. These churches have also been depicted on a map for a holistic view.”
In addition, patrolling and other surveillance arrangements have been upped. The SHOs of all police stations in Delhi have been asked to regularly patrol around churches while police control room (PCR) vans, ERVs and motorcycle patrols have been deployed outside Christian schools and churches. Static night patrol has been made at all sensitive areas, the official said.
Recently, an officer of the rank of additional deputy commissioner of police was appointed as the “nodal officer” for attending to issues and grievances related to churches and educational institutions. Delhi police commissioner B.S. Bassi appointed Joy Tirkey for the post and asked him to maintain regular interaction with the members of the community and ensure safety and security of the establishments run by its members. The Delhi police also set up a Facebook page, called Minority Brethren, for members of the community to post problems related to any institution or school.
