A PORBANDAR POLICE INITIATIVE

16th LOKSABHA GENERAL ELECTIONS -

2014

PORBANDAR

BACKGROUND

Assembly Constituencies : 02Police Stations : 10Total Area : 2316 sq kmTotal Population : 5.86 lakhsTotal Voters : 4.03 lakhsTotal PSL : 262Total PS : 423Critical PSL : 25Critical PS : 40Vulnerable pockets : 07Booths of 3 districts of : Rajkot, Junagadh, 11-Porbandar PC Amreli

CHEQUERED HISTORY – CHALLENGES

History of criminal gangs Involvement in smuggling and gun runningIllegal mining mafias operating in the areaVast coastline – 1993 Bombay blast cases &

2008 Mumbai shootingsHistory of gang leaders contesting elections as

representative of recognised parties. One sided voting patterns indicating

intimidation – 1990 elections to the LA had an independent candidate securing 86% of the polled votes.

CHALLENGES

To conduct free, fair, peaceful and transparent elections

Maintenance of Law & OrderBuilding confidence among the votersStrict observance of MCCExpenditure monitoringCoordination among various agenciesQuick response: true and real time feedback Ensuring franchise of all police officersTraining and sensitization of officers

CHALLENGES (Contd)

Both the candidates of the recognised parties having recent criminal history

One of the candidates being a gang leader having 18 serious criminal cases against him

Predominance of one community in rural areas and one of the candidates belonging to the same community

Mining mafias and criminal gangs as sources of money and muscle power for elections

INITIATIVES

Use of Technology in Security Management

AVLS Mounted PCR vans linked to incident

management system at the control room

Use of Smartphone Apps for information exchange

and complaint redressal mechanism

IP based CCTV cameras to cover all entry/exit

points and 24*7 manned CCTV control room

Use of technical surveillance techniques in

maintaining watch on trouble makers

1. Village Visitations

• The exercise was divided into 3 phases

• From mid February till 3rd week of April

• Phase 1 – before declaration of elections

• Phase 2 - after declaration of candidates

• Phase 3 – during the campaigning period

• SHOs and supervisory officers visited all

155 villages in phases

Village Visitations (Contd)

• Village as a unit of attention & action

• Updating of Village Crime Note Book I/IV

with emphasis on the election scenario.

• Details of the PSL/ PS in each of the villages

• Details of the election related offences in

the village

• Understanding the intra village conflicts

• Identifying the trouble mongers/ intimidators

to be bound down

2. District Police Telephone Registry

• Data bank of numbers & posting of all police personnel along with their place of postings were made

• The details of the same shared with corresponding villages and also the polling personnel as well as CPMF units

• Five telephone numbers of independent reputed people from each of the 155 villages/ PSLs were taken - 2 landline and 3 mobile numbers

• Kept in the police control room as a measure of cross verification of complaints

• Control room incharge and telephone operators trained on the incident management system.

3. Training of Personnel

• Training of master trainers at the state level

• All officers of the district trained by me • All CPMF coy commanders trained by me• Constabulary and CPMF jawans trained by

DySPs• The entire personnel including SRP/HG/GRD/SRD

trained by DySPs• Entire training programme of police

personnel webcast

Training of Personnel (Contd)

• Training content • MCC and its implementation• Election laws and related offences• Role of police in expenditure monitoring• Pre-poll and poll day duties• Security of un-polled and polled EVMs• Role of sector mobiles• Role of CPMFs

• Trained manpower figures• Officers trained – 29• Other ranks trained – 665• CPMF companies trained – 02• HG/GRD/SRD trained – 667

4. Postal Ballots for Personnel on Duty

• All personnel on duty were given postal ballots

• Personnel including drivers of ST buses given postal ballots.

• Postal ballot figures

• Total Strength – 714

• New Registration – 10

• Form no. 12 issued – 701

• Postal Ballots cast – 701/ 714 (98%)

• Gram Rakshak Dal votes cast – 451/ 467 (97%)

• Home Guard votes cast – 251/277 (91%)

5. Posting of Police Personnel

• District cadre among police personnel

• All personnel who completed 3 years in a police

station transferred in the month of March 2014

• Policemen posted in stations outside their home

villages

• Randomization of local police staff before

deployment on the election duty

• No person of a police station was deployed on

booths in the same police station limits

6. Modification of Existing Police Routines

• City police stations to have at least a PSI rank

officer as the Police Station Officer from 1600 to

2400 hrs

• Night round system modified for the campaign

period so that at least one PI/ Subdivision and one

PSI in between two police stations

• Police Mobiles to have PCR incharges of PSI rank

in city and ASI in rural areas in evening time.

Modification of Existing Police Routines (Contd)

• Separate Police Control Room mobiles started for

the period utilising reserve vehicles from HQ

• All patrolling vehicles to daily cover the

vulnerable hamlets and trouble spots daily

• Special units like Special Operation Group and

Local Crime Branch divided into smaller sub units

to increase reach and reduce response time

7. Intelligence Reports and Forecasting

• System of forecasting regarding the campaigning activities for the next 24/48 hours prepared daily based on inputs from local intelligence branch

• This ensured proper police bandobust and also copy given to the VST so as to cover the functions

• Proactive bandobust ensured free and fair campaigning

• System of daily intel reports from the field LIB operatives analysed and brewing troublesaddressed at early stage

8. Expenditure Monitoring

• Use of Flying Squads (FS) and Static Surveillance Teams (SST)

• 7 Check Points identified and teams rotated among the check points

• To maintain element of surprise the locations of teams decided only on the concerned day

• To ensure free and fair functioning of these teams, the members of the teams rotated on a regular basis and proper videography of the work done

• Frequent checking of the teams by DySP/ SDM based on their location charts available with them

• IP based Cameras used to monitor on real time

9. Technical Surveillance

• The main criminal elements and trouble makers

identified well in advance

• Their movements and activities kept in watch and field

LIB reports analysed to identify the main intimidators

• Telephone numbers of active intimidators and

henchmen put under technical surveillance to ensure

that their efforts don’t succeed

• Fine balance between the active political functionaries

and real intimidators/ criminals

CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES

• Continued interaction of police officers with the people.

CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES

• Use of CPMF for confidence building Flag marches by CPMF on pre-defined sector routes CPMFs given information of the routes and villages in

advance All 155 villages covered by flag march

CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES

Coy. Commanders encouraged to talk to the common men.

CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES

Patrol Vehicles displayed appeal to voteControl room/ Local PS contact details displayed on

patrol vehicles for election related complainants

CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES

Area familiarization by the CPMF with special emphasis on vulnerable areas and critical polling booths

Vunerable Area Management Pre Poll announcement Sensitivity/vulnerability analysis in advance Identification of vulnerable areas/people 07 areas identified Identification of potential trouble makers, 28 persons identified

Criteria: Past history of election violence. Caste Conflicts Prevailing political situation. Crimes against weaker sections. Intimidation of a certain section.

CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES

Vunerable Area Management After Poll announcement Visits of vulnerable hamlets by DySP/CPI/SHO Joint meetings of all villagers :vulnerable and non-vulnerable

population Preventive actions against potential trouble makers and

frequent checking even after P.A. Flag marches in these areas

CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES

• Poll Day Special attention from the evening of 29-04-14 till the end of

polls Sector Magistrates and SPMs asked to patrol and halt in

these areas for maximum time CPMF Coy Commanders asked to patrol these areas

CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES

COMPLAINTS REDRASSAL SYSTEM

Schematic diagram complaints redressal system

Pre-poll:

13 complaints received, all disposed off on top priority

Poll day:

Sector mobiles were backbone of the system

Complaints directly dispatched to SPMs for quickest

response, in addition to DYSP/SHO

ATR received from SPMs and corroborated from DYSP/SHO.

37 complaints received

All complaints found frivolous

COMPLAINTS REDRASSAL SYSTEM

SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS

Pre-poll:

Force on stand to from 1200 Hrs

SPMs/SHO started patrolling from 1200 hrs to prevent

any kind of intimidation and inducement of voters

SST/FSTs also deployed and supplemented by PS teams

Combing operations to check political workers not

voters of the area. All hotels/ guesthouse etc. checked

SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS

CPMFs deployed at polling stations by 12 o’clock

SPMs took a round of all PS/PSL of routes checked

CPMFs, went back to dispatch centers and joined

sector magistrates

Started with polling parties towards PSL

SRP sent with polling parties to augment security

SPMs and all police mobiles on patrolling till late

night

SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS

1.Static bandobust at PS/PSL

Police/SRP/CPMF/HG

2.Mobile bandobust

Sector mobiles on 27 routesSHOs with 09 QRT/police stationSupervisory officer with striking force/AC

3.District striking force

Stationed at district Control room to meet any eventuality and respond in case of any law and order problem

Apart from the 27 SPMs, 8 more group mobile made from existing reserves and sub teams of specialised units like Local Crime Branch and Special Operations Group

SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS

Poll Day:By 7 a.m. “Kheriyat” report from all SPMs regarding

deployment at PS/PSL.

“Kheriyat” report every hour after that.Halt at vulnerable/critical/crowded polling stations for

maximum time.At the end of poll SPMs halted at the last PS of route and

traveled with the party.SPMs resumed patrolling after polled EVMs reached

receiving centers. Polled EVMs transported to counting center under escort

of 2 PSIs and 1 Section CPMF.

SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS

Counting Day:

The entire counting centre cordoned by 3 tier security

Vehicle Checking and frisking at district borders

Route Mobiles to cover the routes used by counting agents

Multi camera CCTV Surveillance Van at the counting centre

Barricading of entire centre to prevent crowd formation

Local police from other district to identify counting agents

from neighbouring districts

WELFARE

Best accommodation provided to CPMFs

Hygiene and sanitation : 12 toilet blocks constructed

Fogging and insecticide treatment periodically

Doctor on call facilityAll police personnel asked to keep their medical

history and emergency medicines on polling day

Appreciation letters for their hard work

Daily allowance / Food allowances given in advance

Food packets to all personnel on duty on both days

ACHIEVEMENTS

Sl No Action Taken Numbers

1.Preventive actionsPASAExternments

25484610

2. Licensed arms deposited 743 (100%)

3. Prohibition casesNo of cases :293Persons arrested :378Total seizures worth 23 Lakhs

4. Cash interception 5 Lakhs

ACHIEVEMENTS

SR N0 Parameters 2009 2014 Raise

1 Total voter turnout 42.53 52.32 +10.20

2 Voting in vulnerable areas 32.42 51.34 +18.92

3. Voting in lowest 80 booths 26.68 37.52 +10.84

4. Body offences in last 3 months 26 23 -3

5. MCC violation cases 1 0 -1

OUTCOME

No law and order problems during election period.

No election related offences on poll day.

No single poll related offence even after the counting and results

Striving for further improvements…

Thanks

DEEPAN BHADRAN I.P.S.SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICEPORBANDAR - GUJARAT