Tourist police to get a makeover soon

Next time you visit Gateway of India, do not be surprised if you see denim-clad, cowboy hat donning policemen attending to foreign tourists in foreign languages. A proposal to revive the tourist police wing has been sent for approval to the Mumbai police commissioner.

Next time you visit Gateway of India, do not be surprised if you see denim-clad, cowboy hat donning policemen attending to foreign tourists in foreign languages. A proposal to revive the tourist police wing has been sent for approval to the Mumbai police commissioner.

HT Image

According to the new proposal, the tourist police uniform will look more casual look than the regular Mumbai police outfit. They would also be provided with swanky jeeps and motorbikes.

Apart from chowkies, help desks would be put up at important stations such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Churchgate and at important tourist spots such as Taraporewala Aquarium and Kamala Nehru Park.

At the moment, the tourist police operate from a set of police beat stations at popular tourist spots including Gateway of India, Marine Drive and Kamala Nehru Park in south Mumbai, with a small team of 30 policemen.

The new proposal moots a mobile battery of policemen as against the existing beat chowkies, attached to local police station. The new avatar would be a strong force of 80 policemen, including 10 officers.

All policemen have been informed about the proposed revival plan and those interested have been asked to come forward.