dna talks to Government Railway Police (GRP) Commissioner, Ravindra Singhal
Considering the traffic and density of the city's suburban system, what is the ideal figure of constabulary that GRP must have in Mumbai?
It will be very difficult to give an exact number... Various factors are taken into account in the work of GRP, like peak hours and the number of crimes registered. As per rule, the Railway Police Force (RPF) has to take care of railway property and passenger safety, GRP has been assisting the RPF. We have got additional manpower in the form of home guards. It is important to use the available manpower efficiently and monitor the stations properly. There is a lot of encroachment near stations, and if that is taken care of, policing will be much better. I agree there are certain loopholes that need to be plugged, such as raising the height of platforms. There are plans to install CCTV cameras in women's compartments.
Are you satisfied with the work of home guards or do you believe they are substitutes for fully-trained policemen?
Home guards are very helpful... They just need to be trained properly. Once that is done, they will be as good as GRP personnel.
Is coordination between RPF and GRP up to the mark now?
I agree that there are a number of disputed areas and different viewpoints between GRP and RPF. But all these are minor issues, which can be solved. At times, problems arise when CCTV footage has to be shared or when deciding the area of patrolling. But the work of both agencies is well defined and we all are doing our best to make commuting safer for people.
Should the GRP be given equal access to CCTVs, like the RPF, as the former looks after major crimes?
We are only concerned with the accessibility of the footage. We just expect that the footage be shared with us as early as possible. CCTVs are the property of the railways and, hence, their charge has been given to the RPF, we have no issue with it. Our only aim is to stop crime and secure the premises for commuters, and for that we need the footage quickly to take action.
Are there plans to increase the number of police stations on the suburban network, because passenger footfall at several stations has gone up?
I can't share much details with you at this point. But before thinking of extra police stations, an assessment is required and done about various factors. Based on that, decision is taken for new police stations. However, till now, I haven't done any such assessment.
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