The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG)’s performance audit report on manpower and logistics management in the Delhi Police has found shortage of manpower and many police stations lacked facilities like barracks, canteen/mess, kitchen, parade/play grounds etc., which are necessary for comfortable working. The performance audit revealed that the Delhi Police has installed 3,870 CCTV cameras in entire Delhi at strategic locations and the percentage of cameras functioning satisfactorily is abysmally low, ranging from entirely defunct camera (pilot phase) to 31 % to 44 % defunct cameras in various other phases.
“Only one out of the72 police stations,test-checked by the audit had staff as per the norms prescribed by Bureau of Police Research and Development. In these 72 police stations, we found, there was 35 per cent shortage of manpower. Acute shortage of staff has put the police personnel under tremendous strain as their average daily duty hours in the six test-checked police districts (Central, New Delhi, South, Dwarka, North East and Rohini) ranged from 12 to 15 hours against eight hours as prescribed under the Model Police Act 2006,” the CAG said. The facilities for public like reception/waiting areas, toilets, women help desk were also below the required standards.
It further said that shortage of manpower has also impacts investigation of crimes and bringing criminals to justice. Police stations in the selected districts also suffered from shortage of vehicles, which severely limited quick response to law and order situations.
Delhi Police is using a 20 years old trunking system (APCO), which is 10 years beyond its normal life span. Proposals for up-gradation of these sets were initiated 10 years ago but even tenders have not been finalized yet. The number of wireless sets under the conventional system declined from 9638 in June 2009 to 6172 in June 2019 as the sets condemned during the period were not regularly replaced.
On the special cell of Delhi, the CAG pointed out that despite being the National Capital’s specialized Counter Terror Unit, the Special Cell’s Ranges were ailing from deficiencies in terms of availability of vehicles, protective equipment like bulletproof jackets, and arms & ammunition, which are vital for quick in real time response.
“SWAT, the first responder to any armed act by the terrorists, gangsters or anti-national elements in Delhi, was functioning with reduced efficiency in terms of bulletproof jackets as well as specialized training for their all-round development and preparedness. The Cyber Crime Unit of the Special Cell was suffering from non-deployment of sufficient number of trained and qualified manpower to efficiently handle the cyber related crimes leading to inadequate disposal of cases in the Cyber Crime Unit,” it added.
The audit revealed that against requirement of 3896 police personnel for protection of all the Protected Persons (PPs), only 2661 were posted for active duty, i.e., 32 per cent shortage of man power. “Although there was overall shortage of manpower in Security Unit 207 police personnel were assigned permanently for the security of 12 PPs who were not residing in Delhi. Similarly, there were 15 PPs who were residing in neighbouring states, but were provided round the clock security (54 police personnel) by Security Unit. As per the norms, security should be provided by the concerned state governments,” the CAG said.
