The Hindu : New Delhi News : Reducing fear of the men in uniform

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Saturday, Jun 28, 2008
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New Delhi

Reducing fear of the men in uniform

Policemen on night duty are at a greater risk of landing in an adverse situation, says Devesh K. Pandey

Increasing incidents of violence against policemen on duty in the Capital are a grim reminder of the fact that the fear of the khaki among miscreants is on the wane. Such criminal elements become a big source of harassment not only for the public at large but also for the hapless cops on patrol, especially at night.

In the Capital’s Dwarka sub-city this past Wednesday night a constable was conducting a routine check when an altercation broke out between him and three apparently drunk young men riding a motorcycle. One of them allegedly hit the constable on the head with a liquor bottle injuring him seriously. The incident reflects the kind of danger policemen encounter during patrol duty on Delhi’s roads.

There have been cases where policemen have been knocked down by speeding vehicles. A traffic policeman was injured by a Honda City -- fleeing after hitting a scooter -- when he along with his colleague was trying to chase down the vehicle in South Extension this past month.

In March, three back-to-back cases were reported from different parts of the Capital in which four policemen were beaten up by errant motorists. A head constable and a constable were roughed up and their challan book torn by a Skoda car driver whom they had intercepted for allegedly driving on the wrong carriageway on Najafgarh Road.

In a similar case, a constable was beaten up by a mini-truck driver allegedly driving on the wrong side in Delhi Cantonment. In another case, a motorcyclist driving without a helmet beat up a Police Control Room van staff and drove away. Similar incidents were reported in Ashok Vihar in February and at Mayur Vihar in January.

“It is a bitter truth that the policemen on night duty are at a greater risk of landing in an adverse situation. It is a professional hazard as there is no denying that their job after all is to nab criminals who are on the prowl mostly during night hours. In these circumstances, incidents do occur. However, we advise them to take all necessary precautions to avoid getting hurt,” said a senior police officer, adding that the traffic policemen are also briefed from time to time on measures they should take to prevent such incidents.

However, in the wake of increasing violence on the Capital’s streets now many police officers feel there is a need for a better plan of action. Apart from increased police presence in areas prone to such incidents, the police would do well to opt for a two-layer security for the purposes of picketing. This would not only work as a deterrent but also ensure that any miscreant who manages to breach the first layer is netted by the second one.

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