New crisis response team to be functional by end of the month

Response 10, an ambitious initiative by the Mumbai police to deal with emergencies such as the 26/11 terror attack, will be fully functional by the end of the month.

Response 10, an ambitious initiative by the Mumbai police to deal with emergencies such as the 26/11 terror attack, will be fully functional by the end of the month.

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The project, a brainchild of police commissioner Arup Patnaik, is currently being run on an experimental basis at four places around Nagpada area. Explaining the project, Patnaik said that every police station would have mobile vans placed at different locations to deal with emergencies. These would be the first ones to respond to any situation.

An official overlooking the project said that the mobile vans will have the fittest of men, and best of weapons, and would form the first line defence of the police. These men would be in a battle-ready position at all times.

"Later, other forces such as the Quick Response Team and NSG would take over," an official attached with the project. He added that the team's priority would be to minimise casualties and to apprehend the accused.

"The response time to any situation is crucial in containing damages, both in terms of human casualty as well as material damage," the official said. Even during the 26/11 terror strike, terrorists inflicted maximum casualty in the first 10 to 20 minutes of the attack, an official added.