Amit Shah reviews Delhi Police, lauds them for their handling of riots, farmer agitations

Union home minister Amit Shah met senior officers of the Delhi Police on Tuesday at the force’s headquarters on Jai Singh Road, and also took stock of the city police force’s performance in the past one year.

Shah lauded Delhi Police for their role in tackling the Delhi riots in February 2020, the handling of the ongoing farmer agitations at Delhi border points, and the enforcement of the Covid-19 lockdown last March.

He also made a slew of announcements related to policing in the city. Later in the afternoon, Shah held a meeting along with home secretary Ajay Bhalla, police commissioner SN Shrivastava, Intelligence Bureau director Arvind Kumar and other police brass.

While addressing the 80,000-strong Delhi Police force -- police stations had connected to the event at the police headquarters on Jai Singh Road via video conferencing — Shah said a web of 15,000 more cameras would be installed across the city for crime prevention and detention.

He said the cameras would be linked with those installed by the Delhi government and those that are at railway stations. The home minister announced that the government has approved procurement of more than 4,500 new vehicles and over 1,500 motorcycles for the Delhi Police.

Shah said the country had faced several challenges last year. “In Delhi, too, there were many tests. Be it the north-east Delhi riots, dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, ensuing lockdown measures, feeding the hungry, dealing with the migrant crisis or the ongoing farmer agitations, the Delhi Police has set an example by handling every situation professionally and in an exemplary manner. I want to thank every person -- from the constable to the commissioner -- from the bottom of my heart,” he said.

The home minister also gave a task to every police station ahead of the 75th Independence Day anniversary celebrations that will start on August 15.

Shah also felicitated some junior police officers for going beyond the call of duty during the early months of the lockdown. He stressed on more scientific evidence based policing while ensuring transparency.

The home minister also said that initiatives such as “e-beat book” has strengthened Delhi Police’s functioning along with other digital platforms such as the Himmat app.

The e-beat book is an app that has facial recognition software and dossiers of criminals. The details of the suspects and wanted criminals will be synchronised with the e-book and can be access on a real-time basis. This is currently being used by select police stations in Delhi. The Himmat app was launched by the police for women safety.