Police manpower restructured to meet emerging challenges: Telangana DGP Anand

Hyderabad, Aug 19 (TNT): The Telangana Police Department is rationalising its manpower to address the changing nature of crime and public safety challenges, Director-General of Police (DGP) C.V. Anand said on Wednesday.

Addressing police personnel at the Telangana Police Academy, Anand said policing had undergone significant changes over the decades.

While Left-Wing Extremism and terrorism were major challenges in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, the police were now increasingly dealing with drug trafficking, cybercrime, online betting, investment fraud, traffic management, road safety and food adulteration.

As part of the restructuring exercise, 513 personnel from specialised units, including Greyhounds, OCTOPUS and SIB, are being redeployed across eight departments based on operational requirements, he said.

The Traffic Management and Road Safety wing has received the largest allocation of 224 personnel, followed by Food Adulteration and Drug Control with 80 and Vigilance and Enforcement with 79, said the DGP.

Another 28 personnel will be posted to Civil Supplies, 27 to the DGP Office-T-SPARK and 25 each to the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Crime Investigation Department and Cyber Security Bureau.

The redeployed personnel comprise five Inspectors, 22 Sub-Inspectors, 14 Assistant Sub-Inspectors, 84 Head Constables and 388 Constables.

Anand said the personnel were initially attached to various departments for two months before being finally allocated based on the creation of posts by the government.

Their educational qualifications and backgrounds were examined and personal interviews were conducted before assigning them new responsibilities. An 11-day specialised training programme was also conducted at the Telangana Police Academy to familiarise them with the functions of their respective departments.

“The objective is to make the best use of the available police manpower in areas that directly affect the lives and safety of people,” the DGP said.

Anand said Telangana had witnessed intense Left-Wing Extremist activity during the 1980s and 1990s, leading to the establishment of a specialised force under the leadership of K.S. Vyas in 1987 during the tenure of then Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao. The force subsequently evolved into Greyhounds.

Greyhounds, SIB and other police units played a significant role in containing Maoist activity in Telangana, he said, adding that such activity had declined substantially after 2017, though it continued in neighbouring States.

Referring to his recent visit to Karreguttalu, Anand said the visit highlighted the infrastructure deficit that continued to exist in some former Maoist-affected areas, including inadequate roads, schools and healthcare facilities.

He also recalled the 2007 terrorist attacks in Hyderabad, including the incidents at Lumbini Park and the Charminar area, which led to greater emphasis on specialised counter-terrorism capabilities and the development of OCTOPUS.

Anand said the growing availability and use of drugs among young people was a serious concern. Drug traces had reportedly been detected among 835 students last year, while a study at another university indicated drug exposure among around 70 per cent of its students, he said.

He stressed the need to tackle the entire drug supply chain while expanding awareness programmes involving students, parents and educational institutions.

“If we do not protect children now, the situation could become much worse in the future,” he cautioned.

Cybercrime had emerged as another major challenge, particularly with the growth of online betting, investment fraud and fraudulent applications, Anand said.

Telangana suffered financial losses of around Rs 1,750 crore due to cybercrime last year, he said, underlining the need to strengthen specialised cybercrime units and preventive mechanisms.

Road safety has been accorded the highest priority in the latest manpower restructuring, Anand said.

Around 8,000 people were killed in road accidents in Telangana last year, he said, adding that the deployment of 224 personnel to the Traffic Management and Road Safety wing was aimed at strengthening enforcement and accident-prevention measures.

The police would work with engineering and other government departments to identify accident-prone locations and rectify infrastructure deficiencies, he said. A State-wide road safety initiative was also being planned.

Addressing the redeployed personnel, Anand said their educational backgrounds had been considered before assigning them new responsibilities.

He asked them to discharge their duties with honesty, integrity and commitment and stressed the importance of physical fitness and discipline.

The DGP said the Greyhounds and OCTOPUS units had been left with sufficient strength to carry out field operations, maintenance and training activities. Their strength and deployment would be reviewed after three months, he added.

Senior officers from OCTOPUS, CID, SIB, Intelligence and other specialised units attended the meeting.

TNT TS