Mumbai Police suggest shutting of three cells over lack of cases

Mumbai: Officials from the Mumbai police department have suggested that three cells — anti-chain snatching, property, and crime against women cell — be shut down and all the officials working there be transferred to police stations to improve their efficiency.

The officials have made this suggestion since these cells don’t get too many cases nowadays and the manpower therein can thus be better utilised at police stations.
Senior officials, who are working on the procedure of ensuring eight hours of duty for officers, have created a plan in which they have suggested that the three cells be closed down and the officials there be transferred to police stations, which see a lot more cases and are far busier.

An official said on the condition of anonymity, “This plan would help start the process of eight-hour duty in some police stations. We are yet to send this application to our senior officials for them to consider the plan.” The official added, “We have suggested that only officials from these cells be added to police stations because the number of cases in these cells is really low and detection, too, is weak as compared to other cells. So instead of wasting the manpower there, we can use the officials at the police station level.”

The official explained that in the case of the anti chain-snatching cell, there were 1,954 cases when it was first started, and the number has now reduced to 445. Most of these cases are anyway being handled at the police station level, which further reduces the need for a special cell, the official said. Moreover, every police station has separate officials who handle crimes against women. The corresponding cell has only a 2-per cent detection rate. “Thirdly, the number of cases in the property cell has also decreased by 60 per cent,” the official said.

DCP Ashok Dudhe said, “These are rumours (about the cells being shut). Our eight-hour duty plan has been implemented efficiently in several police stations.”