Now, Mumbai cops will get to you quicker

All patrolling vehicles will be fitted with GPS devices in a month’s time — the process began after 26/11 attacks

The Mumbai police’s response time is all set to improve. All their patrolling vehicles will be fitted with global positioning systems (GPS) in a month’s time. The process that began after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks still remains incomplete.

On an average, each police station has six vehicles along with the senior inspector’s jeep, all of which will be fitted with the GPS system. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT photo)

A new 15,000 sqft hi-tech police control room will also begin operating in a month’s time, which will be linked with the police vehicles bringing down the incidents of policemen bunking their duty, a senior officer said.

Keeping a tab on police patrolling cars will get simpler in south Mumbai with the new 1,250 high resolution internet protocol (IP) based CCTV cameras likely to start functioning from November 30.

The new cameras will be monitored from a new control room with the help of a wall-projection device.

“The fifth floor of the under-construction commissionerate building will house the new control room. The entire city be covered by CCTV cameras by October 2016 and the functioning and output of the force will get an edge with these techniques,” said Anupkumar Singh, joint commissioner of police (administration).

Officials said the control room will be able to monitor the position and movements of all the wireless police vehicles that keep patrolling the streets. On an average, each police station has six vehicles along with the senior inspector’s jeep, all of which will be fitted with the GPS system.

There have been stray instances of the wireless patrol operators claiming to be located elsewhere when informed on a walkie-talkie about some incident. “With the GPS and CCTV cameras, however, we will be able to verify if they are skipping their duties and action can be taken against them,” said another senior IPS officer.