Delhi Police understaffed by over 8,500 personnel

A parliamentary panel has expressed concerns over vacancies in the Delhi Police, saying the force has a shortage of more than 8,500 personnel, which makes its functioning significantly challenging.

According to the panel, the Delhi Police has 85,690 personnel against a sanctioned strength of 94,257 personnel — leaving 8,567 positions vacant.

In its report, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs also observed that the Delhi Police should expedite the recruitment process to fill the existing vacancies.

"The committee notes that Delhi Police faces a significant challenge with a sanctioned strength of 94,257 personnel but an actual strength of 85,690, resulting in a vacancy of about 8,567 positions," the report, submitted to the Rajya Sabha, said.

The panel also appreciated the deployment of more than 10 battalions of Central Armed Police Forces with the Delhi Police, which, to a great extent, has helped ameliorate the shortage.

Further, the committee raised concern over crimes against women and suggested that more needs to be done to address the issue effectively.

It recommended enhancing community awareness through self-defence workshops and expanding women-focused programmes like 'Pink Booths' and the ‘Himmat’ app.

It also suggested increasing patrolling in areas deemed unsafe for women and leveraging AI-powered surveillance to track suspects in real time.

The panel also recommended providing comprehensive training to police personnel on the use of weapons and safety equipment.

It recommended that the Delhi Police continue to strengthen its forensic capabilities and enhance K-9 and Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDT/BDS) units.

It suggested further integration of advanced technology into policing, such as AI and data analytics, to improve crime prevention and detection.

Additionally, the committee noted the importance of public engagement and recommended expanding e-services and community outreach programmes to foster trust and cooperation between the police and the public.

The committee noted the efforts made by the Delhi Police in leveraging technology for traffic management. It appreciated the implementation of automated challan systems and surveillance cameras to monitor traffic violations.

The panel, however, wished to know how the challan collected from the traffic violators are used and recommended further investment in intelligent traffic systems to enhance real-time traffic monitoring and management.

It also recommended that the Delhi Traffic Police adopt international best practices in traffic management, where sensors and AI are used extensively to optimise traffic flow.

Moreover, the committee observed the importance of public awareness campaigns to promote safe driving practices and recommended collaboration with other agencies to develop comprehensive traffic management strategies.