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Now, SSP or SP to stand guard at night to arrest rising crime rate in Chandigarh
Chandigarh DGP directs senior officers to remain on night patrolling duty two days a week on rotational basis for increased vigilance
In an unprecedented move, the director general of police (DGP) in Chandigarh has ordered senior police officers, including superintendents of police (SPs) and senior superintendents of police (SSPs), to remain on duty for night patrolling.
With this, senior officers will now actively oversee security during nighttime, ensuring heightened vigilance amid rising crime incidents after dark.
Earlier, senior police officers would conduct surprise checks at nakas or visit heinous crime spots at night, but there was no fixed roster for their deployment.
The newly issued directive includes a comprehensive duty chart, assigning two days of night patrolling to an SP or SSP, from 11 pm to 4 am. This comes after growing concerns about insufficient on-field presence of senior officers during night, a period marked by a notable surge in criminal movement, across the tricity area.
The officers assigned to the night duty roster include prominent officials such as Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur, SSP (Traffic) Sumer Pratap Singh, SP (Intelligence & Headquarters and Economic Offences Wing) Manjeet Singh, SP (City, Cyber Crime, Vigilance and Operations) Geetanjali Khandelwal and SP (Crime) Jasbir Singh.
These officers will be required to be present on night duty on rotational basis, alternating between field duties and monitoring operations from control rooms or even remotely from home.
Eye on crime prevention
A top official in Chandigarh Police stated, “The presence of senior officers on the field was a significant issue, especially at a time when so much is happening in the city and its surrounding regions at night. There is a lot of criminal movement during these hours, and the deployment of senior officers will certainly make an impact on the crime rate.”
The official emphasised that having senior officers on the field at night would improve overall law enforcement visibility, enabling quicker responses to crimes and more effective monitoring of criminal activities. The deployment is expected to have a direct and positive impact on the safety of residents, and the night patrols will serve as a deterrent to criminals on night prowl.
On the cards: More DSPs on night deployment
In a related development, Chandigarh Police have announced plans to deploy one deputy superintendent of police (DSP) per two divisions at night, further strengthening the presence of senior officers in critical areas. Chandigarh is divided into five key police divisions: North East, East, Central, South and South West.
Previously, only one DSP was assigned to oversee the entire city during the night shift from 12 am to 5 am. Last month, a change was implemented, assigning one SHO and two inspectors with the DSP.
“Under the new plan, assigning multiple DSPs instead of just one will allow for more targeted policing and quicker intervention in emergencies,” added a senior official.
