Photo: Prakhar Pandey
There is at least one wing of this insensitive and ill-performing Administration that deserves kudos. Till a year ago the roads in Gurgaon were often devoid of policemen, as the majority of the constabulary preferred the cool environs of the Police Stations, and even their homes, much to the chagrin of the citizens and civil society. The lack of 'khaki' presence on the roads and streets had led to a big jump in ‘street crimes’ such as eve-teasing, snatching, road rage and even ‘carjackings’. The Police department also worked more in the traditional sense, as it relied on old, tried and tested methods of crime detection, and often began actions only after crimes had been committed – a la Hindi movies. Access to the Police officials (junior or senior) was limited. There was an apparent lack of cohesion in their working, leading to a situation where the left hand quite did not know what the right was doing. In this context, and in terms of the positive change now visible at the ground level, the appointment of Alok Mittal as Commissioner of Police has been a welcome change for the City. To his credit, while other senior City Administration officials (including earlier Police Chiefs) have usually got bogged down by the system, or not cared at all, leading to the increasedfrustration of the residents, Mittal has quite walked his talk. Perhaps his earlier stint here, in different capacities, has helped him. But that would also apply to many others – who have regrettably ‘failed’. The difference seems to be in his attitude and his intent. Leading from the front, he has made the Police force more accessible and effective. He has undertaken several new initiatives and has been open to suggestions.
The residents of the City and even the rural areas say that the best thing about him, and even his senior team, is that he is accessible and listens to their woes. A person in the know says that during the tenure of the prior Police Chief(s) it was difficult to even enter their office premises. Another recent positive that many residents are noticing, and talking about, is the ‘opening’ of permanent nakas (police posts), and the presence of many policemen on the roads, in different parts of the City. Police Commissioner Alok Mittal, when asked about this, tells Friday Gurgaon that greater police presence on the ground sends a message to both the residents and criminals that the Police are working 24 hours to ensure the safety and security of the City-folk. “We have also seen that the incidents of vehicle theft, snatchings, eve-teasings and various street level crimes have reduced since the 'nakas' have been made operational,” says Mittal. Such initiatives have been well backed by internal policies and actions. For example, there is ‘zero tolerance’ towards policemen caught taking bribes. Mittal says that action has been initiated against corrupt police officials of all ranks, and there will be no letup on this policy. “We have taken action against police officials in Badshahpur, Sohna and wherever they have been complaints. This has sent a strong message to all the rank and file that they had better refrain from such practices,” he asserts. Many citizens admit that things have improved, and the Police officials now listen to their complaints seriously. It helps, when every police officer knows that his senior officials are easily accessible, even on the phone…and social media. Realising that the population in Gurgaon is increasing by the day, while the number of policemen has remained static, the Police department has embraced social media almost with a vengeance. The Department today has a very strong and active presence on Facebook and Twitter. Mittal says that they have effectively used technology and mobile applications for the safety of citizens. “We have recently launched a mobile smartphone application across major platforms (Android, iOS and Windows Phone), for the public. This application has made it extremely easy for them to connect with Gurgaon Police. The aim is to create platforms that help bridge the distance between the residents and the Police,” says the Commissioner. A Smart 24x7 app. has been set up to facilitate the verification of domestic help and tenants. With the launch and use of such applications, Gurgaon Police has achieved significant public outreach. An application launched last winter helps smartphone users to connect to the Police (Control Room) in case of an emergency by just pressing a button. The person sitting in the Control Room is able to detect the location of the victim and then guide a police official to reach her/him. The latest mobile application has a directory of the Gurgaon Police names, numbers and email ids, which can be quite handy when in need. Mittal says that the objective goes beyond just a ‘feel good’ or ‘feel secure’; the Police expects that many would like to become the extended eyes and ears of the Police, and report on traffic jams, share feedback on various issues, and support Women, Senior Citizens and Children in the use of the special Helpline numbers. The Police are mulling a dedicated Traffic Helpline, to ensure those complaints and feedback are tracked separately and expeditiously.
Cyber Crime, which is a major problem in Gurgaon, particularly with the high and rising use of social media and online payments, has also been given adequate attention by the Department. The Cyber Crime Detection Unit is one of the best in the country, and under Mittal's leadership has even won top awards. The Commissioner says that they have been regularly updating their public interface systems and internal Police processes, and aggressively leveraging technology, to check Cyber Crime. It was under his direction that the Department launched a Cyber Safety campaign in Gurgaon schools, and also offered Summer Internship to fresh graduates from various disciplines, and of course to Cyber Security and Cyber Law students.
At ground level, the Police have launched a Community Police initiative, Saath-Saath (Together We Can), to foster collaboration between citizen groups and the Police. Mittal says that the goal is to set up a direct communication between the Gurgaon Police and the members of the public, to help in crime prevention and the transparent redressal of sensitive complaints. An important significance of this initiative is that it can help prevent crime. Mittal adds, “The Police Department welcomes an open communication with the citizens, which will also ensure a better understanding of how the Police functions, its decision-making process, and what an officer experiences on a day-to-day basis.” Saath-Saath expects citizen groups to serve as liaisons between the Department and the community, and of course to report suspicious and criminal activity. The Program will also help the Department to identify economically-challenged families who are living in unsafe conditions and are vulnerable - particularly girls, believes the Police. The Department has also engaged with sarpanches, and ‘numberdars’, especially of the urban villages in the City, to ensure better co-ordination with the local people, particularly since some youth from villages have often been found involved in violence and crimes. Mittal says that there are regular meetings with the village heads, and they have agreed that night-watchmen should be introduced in their areas, ‘open-drinking’ of liquor should stopped, and the incidents of eve-teasing should be capped. On special security measures for the more vulnerable, Mittal says that special Women’s cells have been created in every Police zone of the City, there is a separate cell for Senior Citizens in the Police Commissioner's office itself, and there is also a cell to handle the complaints of residents from the North East region - who have been increasingly facing problems in their neighbourhood. Recognising the increasing number of service personnel - both retired and serving – residing in the Millennium City, the Department has also set up a Defence Personnel Cell, where their complaints can be registered. To ensure that women feel safer on Gurgaon roads, Mittal says that efforts have been made to increase the presence of policewomen on the roads and in PCRs – in fact all-women PCRs have also been introduced in the City. The Police would like to ensure that when a woman makes a complaint, a member(s) from within a dedicated team of women officials - constable to ACP level – should handle it.
The Gurgaon Traffic Police has taken the initiative to introduce a pre-paid system for autos in multiple locations. It has also asked all shared-auto operators to wear a uniform, and to ensure that the names of the drivers and the registration numbers of the vehicles are painted on their autos. Many locals, as well as the large number of outsiders who visit the City daily for work, agree that this step has been helpful - as they can now at least identify the person/auto and make a proper complaint. An SMS-based system, to verify the identification of an auto driver, has also come handy for commuters. Earlier, a massive lane driving campaign on the e-way had many truck and other drivers scurrying for cover.
Mittal says that the major successes of the Police Force in the last one year have been that it has been able to cut down on the response time for emergencies, has a far better presence on the roads, and has worked hard and smart to prevent many crimes. FG believes that the impact of the ‘drunk-driving test’ campaign – which is still ‘fully on’ - has been exemplary. A major challenge being faced by the Police department is the problem of ‘cow smuggling’ and the communal situation arising thereof – both in Gurgaon and neighbouring Mewat. Mittal says that they have formed a special Cow Cell to deal with issues related to illegal cattle smuggling. On the communal front he claims that the Police has been able to handle most of the sensitive issues in a timely manner, as their information gathering and reaction time has improved. This has prevented many situations from turning ugly. Asked about the major challenges for the Gurgaon Police in the coming year, the Commissioner signs off with a smile, saying that he will think about it and inform us later. Setting up Gurgaon as the ‘Best Traffic Management’ City in India would be a fitting finale.
We know that this Commissioner does not play the conventional role. A Police Commissioner in Gurgaon/India can perhaps be sometimes expected to come down with a heavy hand on corrupt officials, but this one has a ‘soft touch’ too. ‘Good Samaritan’ policemen and citizens are regularly recognised and rewarded, personally, by the Commissioner. And while Raahgiri has now been ‘taken over’ by the MCG Commissioner, it was the Police Commissioner who quietly made it happen…and who quietly and regularly participated, along with his men. Now there are rumours that policemen have been deployed across the City in 'civvies' – with policewomen as decoys (the Commissioner of course has ‘no comment’)?!
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