force multipliers

August 7, 2008

FORCE-MULTIPLIERS

Private guards to gather intelligence CCTVs and dogs to maintain vigil during Ganpati

Mumbai: With terrorist activities increasing in urban centres, private security guards will now be treated as force-multipliers and would help men in uniform in intelligence gathering. They have been instructed to maintain a discreet watch in their surroundings and report anything suspicious to their heads and pass it on to the police. Over the last few days, members of Security Association of India (SAI) has met officials of Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai police, where several issues related to beefing up intelligence machinery were discussed. "We would play a very proactive role in gathering information and help the police," Gurcharan Singh Chauhan, the SAI president, told Sakaal Times on Thursday. SAI has already met Deputy Commissioner of Police (Headquarters), Pravin Pawar in Navi Mumbai, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-I), Sahebrao Patil in Thane. They have also sought an appointment with the Mumbai police chief, Hasan Gafoor, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), K L Prasad and Special Inspector General of Police in-charge of Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), Hemant Karkare. The meeting was mainly to discuss the arrangements for the forthcoming Ganpati and Dahi-handi festivals, however, gathering of information that can be actionable, was also on the agenda. On Wednesday, Director General of Police A N Roy while addressing a meeting of senior police officials, which included superintendents of police of all the districts, inspector generals of police and commissioners, had asked his force to focus more on intelligence gathering. Chauhan pointed out that there are nearly 1.5 lakh private security guards and security supervisors, who with their prompt actions can reduce the burden of policemen with some simple precautions. "Many of them stay in slums and they have been told to keep a watch on what is happening in the vicinity and report accordingly," he said. "We have also given a list of dos and don'ts to all the private security guards with telephone number of control rooms," he said. "We have asked all of them to lay a special emphasis on parking lots and look for vehicles and by-cycles lying unattended for a long time," he added. All security guards have been asked to keep a diary and a pen with them and jot down what they feel could be important for reporting to policemen.
He also said that this year for the Ganpati festival, many mandals in Mumbai and its suburbs have opted for CCTVs and metal detectors. "Some of them have also requisitioned for sniffer dogs. There are nearly 15 to 20 agencies, which specialise in sniffer dogs," he said. As regards the total number of private security agencies in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai, if one goes by registered ones they are over 300. Says Chauhan: "We are well aware that people, not only in the State, but of the entire country are living in danger due to subversive activities of terrorists, extremists and Maoists. People living in urban areas and big and major cities face the major threat. There are bomb blasts at regular intervals. In view of these, we have decided to have meetings on a regular basis. After all we are also doing the same job as they are - and together we can make a difference."
DOSPlease inform the police of any suspicious object Switch of mobiles, flashes, radios near the suspicious objectPlace few sand bags around the object; do not cover it with sandBefore renting/selling vehicles/cycles look for ID proof Maintain logbook in all cyber cafesMaintain record of STD/ISD users near Ganpati mandals
DON'TSDo not touch suspicious objectsDo not crowd around the object Do not panic or heed to rumoursDo not assume there is only one suspicious objectDo not try to handle or neutralise the suspicious objectDo no obstruct the movement of police