They’ve lost faith in the police

AA Khan

For controlling any kind of crime, whether connected to the underworld or terror, the informant or khabri is the most important source of information.

They keep us updated about strangers, unusual activities in their areas, anyone carrying or in possession of weapons, or anyone who has begun displaying sudden wealth.

In any important success against crime, we have been helped by informants. Take the example of the action we took against some Khalistani terrorists in 1992.

We asked our informants from Mulund, Bhandup, Vikhroli and Chembur if they had seen new Sikhs visiting these areas. This was before our successful operation in Khindi Pada at Bhandup.

We were given information by our sources that they had seen recent structures atop a hill, there was movement only late at night, and the way they wore their clothes looked like they were carrying weapons. This information was given by the local informants who knew the community well. The Khindi Pada operation was therefore highly successful.

The same thing applies to operations against the underworld. The well-known encounters have been based on tip-offs by our informants who give us minute details.

We use young boys or shopkeepers whose information also helps police in solving burglaries, thefts, and petty crime cases. It is not that the police can’t get this kind of information with routine inquiries, but a man in uniform immediately sets off an alert.

The informant also has time on his hands. He can sit for hours in a barber’s shop, tea stall or panwalla’s shop  to get local gossip. There are two kinds of informers. The professional informants are in the pay of the police and the petty criminals who rat on their former mates for revenge. Some public-spirited citizens also give information, but this is rare.

The protection of the identity of informants is vital. They interact with us in clandestine ways. I would meet my informer in the parking lot of a five-star hotel, or OPDs of public hospitals which are crowded and noisy. Obviously the officer needs to be in plain clothes with no official vehicle in the vicinity.

In the new cosmopolitan areas, housing agents can be good informers because they know who is buying a lot of property and give us profiles of new buyers. These housing agents are smart and they have all the information, including any changes in the lifestyles of residents.

It is not so difficult to notice anything out of the ordinary in older areas. There are mohalla committees or locality groups, and any outsider to the area is noticeable and can be reported to the police station. But in nouveau riche and cosmopolitan areas, this is tougher.

The biggest problem in recent years has been the public’s loss of faith in the police. We have to build this faith. There is no point in holding meetings only prior to important festivals. These meetings should also not just be with VIPs, industrialists or councillors. Police officers should interact with the  people of an area who can give an honest picture.

That’s why it’s important to appoint an officer in an area where he has a good rapport with the locals. The officers need to attend meetings of local clubs to gain the confidence of the local community. People’s cooperation is essential in fighting crime. Terrorism is a modern day challenge, but no outsider can come and plant a bomb in a bus or train without a local hand.

Unfortunately, alienation of the people has made us lose our contacts in some minority communities. The government needs to deal with them in a more sympathetic manner.

Khan is a retired IPS officer. He spoke to Neeta Kolhatkar