Colonies' panchayat to fight crime
The Delhi Police has decided to rely on the good-old flower power to help break the ice between its officers and the residents of four of the capital's largest unauthorised colonies. Jatin Anand reports.
The Delhi Police has decided to rely on the good-old flower power to help break the ice between its officers and the residents of four of the capital's largest unauthorised colonies.
As the Hindustan Times had reported on January 26, the Delhi Police has decided to hold weekly police-public meetings in areas that boast of flourishing unauthorised colonies, starting next week.
"We have almost completed the groundwork necessary to implement the step, which aims at alternate dispute resolution. We are planning to begin from Jahangirpuri, Mongolpuri, Seemapuri and Anand Parbat from March 1," police commissioner BK Gupta said.
To be christened the 'Unauthorised Colony Panchayat' project, in all probability, the step takes a leaf out of a similar project initiated by the Mumbai Police. But there's a difference.
"In this campaign, as many as 70% of our volunteers will be women who reside in those areas. To ensure that local politicians do not hijack the platform for their own ends, we have decided to allow only those volunteers who genuinely want to work towards enhancing public-police participation," the commissioner said.
If all goes well, the project will cover at least 100 families in each unauthorised colony.
As per the Delhi Human Development Report 2006, more than 65% of Delhi lives in unplanned colonies. Police believe that the proximate location of colonies of the haves and have-nots is a critical criminogenic factor.
The meetings will be held once a week and officers from the local police station will visit the residents at a predesignated spot.
"The relationship so forged will ensure that complaints are dealt with immediately and effectively. The residents will feel empowered to complain about officers they see colluding with the builder mafia and intelligence inputs will flow seamlessly," said a senior police officer associated with the project.
