Noida Police set up security ahead of Christmas, New Year’s celebrations; hires cabs to drop people home

The Noida police advised mall, restaurant and bar operators to step up security during the holiday season on Friday, in advance of Christmas and New Year's celebrations. This comes after the Noida police met with owners of pubs and shopping centres to discuss security protocols.

The police also issued a warning, stating that they would take severe action in cases of drunk driving, but they added that this time, as part of a novel programme, they would set up hired cabs with verified drivers to help inebriated people get home safely.

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Nearly two lakh revellers are anticipated in shopping malls in Sector 18, Noida's largest market and top revenue-producing area, on New Year's Eve and January 1.

The Noida Police held a review meeting at the NEA Bhawan in Sector 6 in the presence of DCP Noida Harish Chander, Additional DCP Ashutosh Dwivedi and ACP Rajneesh Verma with representatives of malls like Gardens Galleria, DLF Mall of India, Radisson Blu, and bar operators in attendance.

"Necessary directions have been issued to them today vis a vis December 25 and December 31. A security audit of these malls, bars and restaurants has been done to assess how many security personnel they have and what is their deployment, what the coverage of CCTV cameras installed on their premises, the existing dark areas which need to be lit up," Chander said.

Noida Police outlined government rules and regulations to the operators

The police also solicited suggestions from these operators during the conference in order to secure their assistance in guaranteeing hassle-free, incident-free celebrations. There were several norms on sound limits on speakers and timings which were highlighted by the police. 

"This time the police are also arranging hired cabs with verified drivers to assist tipplers to reach their homes safely, should someone, especially women, need them. For this service, people can contact the police helpdesks in the malls," Verma said.

The IPS officer said extra police will be deployed on the nights of the celebrations, i.e, December 24, 25, 31 and January 1. 

Police helpdesks would be set up on every floor of malls, according to ACP Rajneesh Verma, who also stated that arrangements for ambulances and water tenders will be made at the locations.

Notably, the police also instructed mall owners to ensure that there are no dark spots left on their property by properly lighting any parking lots or greenbelts.