NEW DELHI: A crime wave has been sweeping Delhi, but all is well in Delhi Police Headquarters at IP Estate where Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma sits. 142 murders, 578 rapes, and 1,729 robberies comprise Delhi’s crime record till April 15. However, the capital’s 1.92 crore residents are kept safe, or are given the illusion of safety by 32,000 policemen on the ground—just one cop per 600 citizens. But Commissioner Verma feels the safety of the VVIPs with Z Plus security protection needs more khaki to guard their persons. If he has his way, Lutyens’ Delhi will get 2,500 more policemen to guard its exalted occupants, taking the number to 22,500. As matters stand, 17 policemen guard one VVIP. With the additional forces, it will go up to 19. According to the Commissioner, the added number of cops is to protect VVIPs from terrorists.
Last week, Verma said that proposals regarding enhancing “security at Parliament House Annexe and Prime Minister’s Residence and for Protected Persons to be dealt on priority basis”. He further pointed out that “to fulfil the security requirements for VVIPs, there is requirement of 2,000 to 2,500 more policemen”. He stressed the issue of enhancing the security of VVIPS to be taken to “utmost priority”. Verma will play “terror threat” card to convince the Ministry of Home Affairs to get sanction for 2,500 more policemen.
In Delhi, there are 42 people who are under Z+ security cover, 55 have been provided Z security cover, 72 given Y (threat) category security cover, 143 Y (Positional) security cover and 67 people have been given X category. There are 19 people who have been given security but they don’t fall under any category and their security is the discretion of Commissioner of Police who decides after an analysis of the threat perception by the Special Cell of the force. In total, there are 464 people given security cover and out of which 66 are given directly by Delhi Police.
To provide security cover to Prime Minister, Vice-President,Union ministers, judges, courts, and other categorised Protected Persons and visiting protectees, 7,178 policemen are being deployed that include all ranks—From Special Commissioner of Police to Constable. Strangely, to provide security at President House, there are 848 policemen, including a Joint Commissioner-rank police officer, being deployed. For VVIP route, around 254 policemen are deployed and for residences of various ministers, parliamentarians and judges, 2,115 armed static policemen are deployed. Nearby Prime Minister’s Residence—7 RCR—there are seven police pickets and for that, 89 policemen are deployed permanently. In total, 10,484 policemen are engaged to provide security to VVIPs.
In addition to that, policemen are deployed for MPs in many ways such as static pickets, motor cycle patrolling, foot patrolling and regular checking. There are 39 static pickets round the clock in MPs residential areas. In total, 17 motorcycle police teams patrol the MPs’ residential areas round the clock. Interestingly, five Emergency Response Vehicles are stationed near the Parliamentarians’ residences permanently. In Lutyens’ Delhi, around 79 Police Control Room Vehicles (Static and semi static) are deployed and of it, 24 are exclusively for Parliamentarians.
To keep an eye on suspicious objects near the VVIPs’ houses and establishments, 230 Close Circuit Television Cameras are permanently installed are locations like North Avenue, South Avenue, MS MP flats, Narmada Apartment, Brahmaputra Apartment and Swarn Jayanti Complex. In addition, 412 CCTVs are installed at various roads in Lutyens’ Delhi which are either leading to MPs or Union ministers’ residences or on the roads that are regularly frequented by VVIPs. Despite impregnable security arrangements are in place for VVIPs for years and deployment of more than 20,000 policemen out of total 77,965 staff of Delhi Police, the Commissioner of Police wants more policemen for providing security to VVIPs ignoring the common people of Delhi where it takes around 20 minutes for a police control room van to attend the victims who are in distress.