Year Ender 2025: Delhi Policing Needs Revamp; Strong Local Intelligence Key To Curbing Terror

Delhi has been a target for terrorists for several decades; therefore, central agencies must exercise extreme vigilance. Simultaneously, there is a pressing need for the Delhi Police to significantly improve its policing strategies. The Delhi Police must strengthen its local intelligence, which is only possible if the "beat system" is robust. Accountability must be fixed for every beat officer. If a crime occurs in a specific area, the respective beat officer should be held responsible. A beat officer should be aware of every individual and every activity in their jurisdiction. This is the most essential method to strengthen local intelligence, yet the beat policing system in Delhi has been in a state of complete collapse for years.

Claims Prove Hollow

Looking at the history of the last two and a half decades, more than 12 Police Commissioners have made tall claims during their tenures about strengthening the beat system, but these promises have proved completely hollow. This is the reason why neither crime nor terrorist incidents are being effectively curbed in Delhi. Rampant corruption within the Delhi Police is also considered a major reason behind this. The Ministry of Home Affairs has experimented with various measures to curb corruption in recent years, but these experiments have not yielded success.

The terrorist blast outside the Red Fort after 14 years, which killed 15 people, is being viewed as a gross intelligence failure. Two major issues have emerged from this incident: the failure of intelligence and a lack of coordination between state police forces and central agencies.

Blast Could Have Been Prevented With Proper Coordination

Special Branch officials believe that had there been proper coordination, the Red Fort blast could possibly have been prevented. Furthermore, after his associates were caught in Faridabad, Jaish terrorist Umar Nabi Butt entered Delhi and drove his car on the city's roads for seven hours, yet the Delhi Police failed to intercept him anywhere. This is shocking in itself. Evidence suggests the terrorist had even reached the vicinity of the Parliament House. Therefore, the Delhi Police needs to improve its checking system, maintaining the rigorous vehicle inspection standards that were implemented after the Nirbhaya case.

Police officials state that coordination with the police of neighboring states must be strengthened, as Delhi shares borders with two states, allowing criminals from outside to enter, commit crimes, and escape easily. From fixing checking systems at borders to installing adequate CCTV cameras, urgent action is needed—a plan that is three decades old but yet to be fully implemented by the Delhi Police.

Observing recent events this year, it appears criminals in Delhi have become fearless and have no dread of the police. The audacity of criminals has increased, partly because the Special Cell, the Delhi Police's most specialized unit, has weakened significantly.

Special Cell Becomes A Hub Of Politics

Instead of focusing on its work, the Special Cell has become a hub for politics, and its reputation has eroded over the last three years. In Aya Nagar, a dairy operator was shot 70 times, and in Jafrabad, a man was shot 51 times in a gang war. These incidents clearly indicate that the fear of the Delhi Police is diminishing among criminals. Consequently, gangsters based abroad are calling Delhi businessmen to demand extortion. The police have failed to curb this extortion racket, as well as drug and arms smuggling. Vehicle theft remains a chronic issue in the city.

In recent years, terror caused by juveniles has peaked, with gangsters now using minors to execute crimes. The Delhi Police lacks an effective plan to prevent minors from entering the world of crime. Additionally, Delhi has become a stronghold for illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Although a drive to identify and apprehend them was launched on the instructions of the Home Ministry and the Lieutenant Governor, it has since been halted.

Crime Statistics For Three years

Collecting Local Intelligence Is Paramount

In today's times, collecting local intelligence is crucial. Since internet media is increasingly used for planning fatal attacks, human intelligence must be prioritized. The Intelligence Bureau (IB) acts as the coordinating agency for terror-related matters. It is the duty of every state police force to immediately share any local intelligence regarding terror plots with the IB. Relying solely on mobile interception to gather all information is no longer possible.

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Need To Develop Local Networks

State police need to develop local informer networks on the lines of traditional policing. Merely installing CCTV cameras across the city's streets and lanes offers limited preventive benefits, as they cannot detect what is concealed inside vehicles. Cameras are primarily useful for post-incident investigation, such as tracing vehicle license numbers; however, they cannot identify vehicles without plates.

Therefore, while CCTVs are helpful for future investigations, human intelligence is key for prevention. In the Red Fort incident, video footage immediately confirmed it was a terrorist attack due to the nature of the explosion. There is a significant difference between low and high explosives. When a low explosive detonates and cuts through metal, the edges are jagged. In contrast, a high explosive cuts through metal sharply, as if sliced by a blade. In this blast, sharp cutting was observed, indicating a Pakistani plot from day one. State police need to be highly alert regarding terror inputs.

Terrorists have always had two objectives: first, to cause damage, and second, to create an atmosphere of fear. Their goal is to show that the government is failing. By executing blasts and spreading panic, they aim to send a message that they are more powerful than the government.

Delhi Police former Joint Commissioner Ashok Chand said, "After a terrorist attack, people make baseless comments. The police do their job. Many people question the police and the government. There should be a national policy regarding terrorism. Cases should also be registered against those who make baseless comments. In many cases, parents do not pay attention to their children. They do not pay attention to changing their children's behavior. In such a situation, parents should also seek help from the police. Because in today's times, parents need to change their ideology".

Chronology Of Delhi blasts

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