Haryana DGP conducts night patrol, instructs senior police officers to assess efficiency

CHANDIGARH: The newly appointed Haryana Director General of Police O P Singh conducted a night patrol on Wednesday night along the Panchkula-Yamunanagar Road to assess police presence and operational efficiency. Singh took to social media platform X to notify Haryana Police that he will be conducting the night patrol and invited inputs regarding the presence, work status, and issues faced by the police personnel in charge of emergency response vehicles, police posts, police stations, and inter-state and inter-district checkpoints. At the Saha police station, Singh spoke to the Station House Officer (SHO) for little more than an hour. It was decided that district officers must remain uniformed and armed. The SPs were directed to conduct daily discussions with in-charges of Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) and SHOs via group chats to identify potential criminals likely to commit serious offenses within a week. A 'man-to-man marking' strategy was proposed to disrupt criminal operations and enhance arrests; to capture one suspect, dedicated teams of four to five officers were to be formed. Singh also urged SPs to lead as the face of law enforcement, leveraging media to inform the public about anti-crime initiatives. These steps signal a robust push towards capacity-building and crime prevention across the state, he said. The inspection revealed significant gaps in policing arrangements, prompting immediate action. Singh instructed all Superintendents of Police and Commissioners of Police to conduct similar night patrols within the next four hours. Singh observed, at a checkpoint on the route, one Police Control Room (PCR) vehicle was found alert with its red beacon on, but no personnel were stationed outside for vigilance. The absence of police or police vehicles near toll plazas and a lack of signage or officers at a traffic diversion point raised concerns about public safety and traffic management. 35 minutes travel. 50 kms on Panchkula-Yamunanagar Road. One PCR vehicle found alert on duty with red beacon on but no one was standing outside keeping watch. No police duty/vehicle was seen near toll plazas There is traffic diversion here (one way) but no visible signage/police duty is present at the point of diversion, he wrote. At Shahabad city post, the in-charge raised concerns about frequent interference by farmer unions in Kurukshetra and a shortage of personnel. At the Kalanaur checkpost in Yamunanagar, while interacting with Head Constable Ravinder, Singh emphasised on improving the living and working conditions of police personnel. On October 15, a day after he assumed the 'additional charge' as Haryana Director General of Police, Singh had issued a message to people, spelling out his priorities. He promised safety that is felt, day and night, in every village, town and city.