A P ORBANDAR P OLICE I NITIATIVE 16 th LOKSABHA GENERAL ELECTIONS

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

CHEQUERED HISTORY – CHALLENGES History of criminal gangs Involvement in smuggling and gun running Illegal mining mafias operating in the area Vast coastline – 1993 Bombay blast cases & 2008 Mumbai shootings History 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 & Order Building confidence among the voters Strict observance of MCC Expenditure monitoring Coordination among various agencies Quick response: true and real time feedback Ensuring franchise of all police officers Training 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 3 rd 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 troubles addressed 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 vote Control 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 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/PSLPolice/SRP/CPMF/HG 2.Mobile bandobust Sector mobiles on 27 routes SHOs with 09 QRT/police station Supervisory 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 facility All 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 NoAction TakenNumbers 1. Preventive actions PASA Externments Licensed arms deposited743 (100%) 3.Prohibition cases No of cases :293 Persons arrested :378 Total seizures worth 23 Lakhs 4.Cash interception5 Lakhs

ACHIEVEMENTS SR N0Parameters Raise 1 Total voter turnout Voting in vulnerable areas Voting in lowest 80 booths Body offences in last 3 months MCC violation cases10

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