SC seeks stronger security, for women
Giving top priority to the safety of women, especially after recent incidents of crimes against them in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court on Thursday issued a series of directions to the police and State Government to strengthen preventive measures, public transport security and surveillance.
Invoking the “Broken Windows” theory of policing while hearing the suo motu case it initiated over recent incidents of rape in Delhi NCR, a bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice K Vinod Chandran observed that a broken streetlight, a non-functional CCTV camera or an unattended complaint, though minor in isolation, together convey that public spaces are not being watched. The bench similarly noted that visible and unattended signs of civic neglect signal an absence of authority and create a haven for anti-social elements.
“A broken or inadequate streetlight, a non-functional CCTV camera, an unmonitored dark stretch, or an unaddressed public complaint may individually appear as minor administrative or infrastructural lapses. However, when such deficiencies remain visible and unattended over a period of time, they collectively convey a perception of neglect and diminished vigilance,” the SC observed.
In a slew of sweeping measures, the bench has ordered enhanced patrolling around educational institutions, stringent verification of drivers and assistants operating public transport and app-based cabs, real-time monitoring of police patrolling and CCTV infrastructure through dedicated control room command centres or “war rooms”, removal of illegally parked heavy vehicles creating blind spots and action against unauthorised liquor outlets and eateries.
