Profiling to check crime in Metro stations
Data bank created to screen potential offenders
In a move to provide security on a par with airports at Metro stations, the Delhi Metro has created a data bank consisting of profile of commuters – especially those who have been booked for cognisable offences like pickpocketing and theft – to keep an eye on such elements, who could be prospective troublemakers.
The inventory of such people includes their records, both descriptive and pictorial, which is being updated from time to time.
“The data bank helps in apprehending habitual offenders. Though it is legally difficult to stop people from entering the Metro, in some cases (like group of pickpockets), people have been barred from entering, and in some cases such people themselves opted not to travel once apprehended by the security personnel,” said Arun Singh, Commandant (OPS), CISF Metro.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) official said that while the data is being shared with related agencies like Delhi Police to upgrade information of miscreants in the list, the record would soon be updated with data of people provided by other agencies as well.
“Profiling in a mass transit system like metro is difficult as large number of people commute everyday and the time spent by commuters in the metro premises is substantially lesser in comparison to that on airports. But it is always better to intensely monitor suspected group of law-breakers,” Singh said.
Apart from profiling commuters, some of the security personnel and metro staff has been imparted with ‘Detection and Action’ training - a scientific method used for profiling people, a CISF said on condition of anonymity. Under the scheme, the training covers ‘behaviour detection’ on the basis of gait, attire, clothing, gesture of individuals.
The official said international experts were roped in to impart training on behaviour detection. Those who have undergone the training would train other staff members. An official involved with the training said profiling of commuters also worked as a test for behaviour detection.
With CCTV monitoring being one of the most important elements of creating profile of commuters, the concerned department has been requested to extend the practice of keeping a record of footages of CCTV cameras from the current practice of seven days. However, the CISF official refused to divulge details of the number of days for which the records would be mainatined in future.
