Police’s community participation project fails to stir interest

After receiving a little over 100 applications so far, the Delhi Police on Tuesday stalled its project to form the traffic consultative committees (TCC).

After receiving a little over 100 applications so far, the Delhi Police on Tuesday stalled its project to form the traffic consultative committees (TCC). The committees were to identify traffic-related problems at the grassroot level and sort them out with the help of community participation.

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Overwhelmed by community participation on its Facebook page over the past two years, the Delhi Police in February last year had sought physical participation of stakeholders for better policing. However, in the past four months, they have received only 123 applications.

More than 1.25 lakh people are associated with the Delhi traffic police’s Facebook page and their participation as virtual police has helped the traffic policemen to prosecute more than 22,000 violators so far.

“Virtual community participation through Facebook has given an impetus to the functioning of the Delhi traffic police. We thought people’s response to our call for active participation will also be awe-inspiring. But Delhiites’ interest level seems to be too low for this,” said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

TCC was conceptualised as a three-tier campaign with 43 committees in circle level, five in range level and one as central committee. But the police have failed to form even one such committee allegedly due to ‘poor response’ from people.

The initiative seems to have ended up in smoke, primarily due to three specific reasons, said a police officer. As per the conditions set by the traffic police for the applicants, their applications will be verified by the local police and they will not be given any kind of compensation. Moreover, the participants will not be provided with any visible sign of authority such as a badge, uniform or the power to prosecute the violators.

Some of the issues that the traffic police intend to resolve with the help of TCC include footpath encroachment, catching minors while driving, the non-functional signals, unauthorised vehicles carrying children to schools and unauthorised parking of commercial vehicles in colonies.