PCR van staff in Delhi to be equipped with mobile phones

One of its cheapest yet effective initiatives, the Delhi Police have decided to arm each of its 870-odd police control room (PCR) vans with a mobile phone on a rental basis. Jatin Anand and Karn Pratap Singh reports.

A mobile phone will soon help Delhi Police reach you quicker and serve those in distress more efficiently.

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One of its cheapest yet effective initiatives, the police have decided to arm each of its 870-odd police control room (PCR) vans with a mobile phone, which will be provided to the staff on a rental basis.

The phones will help PCR personnel to establish contact with the victims immediately, cut down on response time by crucial minutes and even provide medical assistance as, and if, required.

The initiative remained trapped in bureaucratic delays for two years. The PCR vans will get phones by the end of July.

"We are procuring nearly 1,600 Nokia C-10 handsets on a rental basis from a telecom operator with a significant presence in the market," said TN Mohan, special commissioner of police (operations).

"With the user plan providing 1,000 free calls per month, the cost will work out to somewhere around Rs 508 for each set. But the benefits of the phone are immense," said Mohan.

The drill now will be like this: a call made to the emergency response number ‘100' will get logged in the Central Police Control Room (CPCR) where it will be attended by an operator. After details about the incident are recorded, these will then be relayed to the closest unit in the vicinity of the crime spot along with the caller's phone number.

"This means that the PCR, which is the first point of contact with the public, will now be able to do its job more efficiently by contacting and reacting more swiftly," said Satyavir Katara, additional DCP (PCR).

"It's a small, but logical, step towards building a better image of the police as the first responders to emergencies of varying nature," he said.