Nagpur: The Nagpur police brass this week directed deputy commissioners of police (DCPs) to strictly monitor and improve response times for all emergency calls and untoward incidents. At present, the average response time by the city police is around five minutes, said sources.This measure is expected to provide faster relief to citizens, particularly in distress situations, and rebuild trust in the police machinery.The new guidelines, issued by CP Vishwas Nangre Patil, empowered DCPs to personally oversee response time monitoring across their jurisdictions. DCPs will conduct regular audits of logged data from emergency alerts, analysing actual versus prescribed response periods. “Delays will trigger immediate reviews and corrective actions, ensuring accountability at every level,” said an officer.“This focus on swift response directly addresses common citizens’ complaints about time taken by police in responding to crimes, accidents, medical emergencies or harassment cases,” the officer said.As per the directive, elderly residents, women facing domestic issues, backward, and minority community members — groups often voicing grievances about delayed help — will receive prioritised attention.Faster interventions are anticipated to prevent escalation of incidents, save lives, and deliver timely justice, thereby reducing public frustration and enhancing sense of safety, an officer said.The directives also mandate a comprehensive crackdown on illegal activities such as matka gambling, drug trafficking, prostitution, and begging rackets.There will be zero tolerance over hooliganism within police station limits. Priority will be given to complaint registration and resolution for vulnerable sections. All police vehicles must be equipped with iron grilles, public address systems, sirens, searchlights, helmets, and batons, the directive stated.Police stations will maintain functional sirens for emergency alerts. Officers and staff found negligent after specialized training drills will face strict action.This public-focused approach complements other reforms like night nakabandi, AI surveillance, and open door citizen meetings.
