Delhi police get a call every two seconds

Distressed capital

The ph­one at Delhi police control room never ceases ringing. From distress calls to accide­nt reports, kidnapping to ra­pe, the kind of calls the cont­rol room receives would be adequate to keep the force on its toes almost round the clo­ck.

The nerve centre of police activities in the National Capital, the control room received 1,42,77,774 calls in 2011, City Police Commissioner B K Gupta said.  The unit consists of Central Police Control Room (CPCR) and Mobile Patrol Vans (MPVs). According to a senior police officer, the calls range from the most serious to the most trivial.

“The police said eve-teasing calls come in high numbers, followed by petty crime-related issues, drunken brawls and accidents. Calls on road rage cases also come frequently. On some days, they could receive a call about a missing dog,” said the officer. Figures provided by the Police Commissioner reveal 20,014 calls had been receiv­ed last year on anti-obscenity, while 6,564 calls were received from women, and 1,634 from senior citizens.

“A total fleet of 630 MPVs, 10 tourist police vans, 14 ambulances and 139 motorcycles are working in the city. Such intense, round-the-clock patrols led to the arrest of 648 criminals,” said Gupta.

The arrested include 38 robbers, 35 snatchers, 90 thieves and auto lifters, eight burglars and 477 others.

“Several initiatives by the Delhi Police like integrated checking and patrolling and refresher training for all Police Control Room (PCR) staff led to quicker response,” Gupta added.

Citing the recent bomb blast case at the Delhi High Court, Gupta said the PCR staff exhibited high sense of vigilance and promptitude in responding to the calls of the public and rushed to the spot as soon as possible.

“Just after the blast, 32 vans rushed to the spot and immediately took all the injured to the nearest hospital and thus saved many valuable lives,” said Gupta. Quick response by PCR staff was also responsible in rescuing passengers from a burning car and catching an offender who tried stealing a motorbike from a passer-by.

Their efficient work saved 49,348 lives in 2011, as victims were rushed to the hospital in time, the Commissioner said.