Police finish audit of parks, education institutes, flag gaps

Exactly a month after the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl in south-east Delhi’s Astha Kunj Park, the Delhi police on Wednesday concluded their survey of 1,600 parks in the Capital. The report will soon be submitted to Lieutenant-Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and civic agencies, said an officer.

At several open, green spaces, boundary walls were found to be broken, CCTV cameras dysfunctional, lighting inadequate and security personnel lacking. The police have suggested forming local units to inspect parks regularly.

The survey followed a Supreme Court directive on September 28. The court took suo motu cognisance of a spate of sexual assault incidents against minors and women in Delhi-National Capital Region, and directed Delhi Police to identify vulnerable areas, step up patrolling, and undertake an audit of lighting and CCTV coverage in public spaces within four weeks.

Speaking about the survey, Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Devesh Chandra Srivastava said the teams examined security arrangements such as the deployment of security guards and preventive action against suspicious individuals found loitering on and around the premises.

“The audit covered several aspects of park security, including boundary walls, regulated and notified timings, CCTV cameras, illumination and private security guards. Officers also assessed whether overgrown trees obstructed CCTV footage or visibility across the parks. A comprehensive approach is being adopted to enhance security by coordination and collaboration with all stakeholders,” he said.

At some locations, footage was not being stored for the mandatory period of one month while cameras were incorrectly positioned and failed to cover parts of the parks, leaving blind spots, Mr. Srivastava said. The police have recommended setting up police booths in larger parks, deploying PCR vans, pruning trees to improve visibility, installing high-mast lights and strengthening CCTV surveillance. They have also suggested that CCTV control rooms be monitored by police personnel to assess whether the systems are functioning effectively.

Woman-only colleges

The audit of educational institutions covered arrangements along boundary walls, verification of staff and CCTV coverage. The police have directed that pink police booths be set up near educational institutions and PCR vans deployed at all locations to ensure a prompt response in the event of an incident.