Srinagar, Mar 18: In a proactive move to fortify its crowd control capabilities, the Jammu and Kashmir Police is set to acquire 43 cutting-edge Mob Controlling Vehicles (MCVs) in compliance with directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Revealing this development, a senior officer at the J&K Police Headquarters emphasised the significance of this investment in maintaining peace and order, particularly in areas classified as grey zones.
“These vehicles are equipped with advanced features and technologies designed to safely disperse crowds and restore calm in volatile situations,” the official stated, underlining the objective of ensuring a swift and efficient response during law and order incidents.
In preparation for the deployment of these specialized vehicles, 300 personnel from three companies underwent rigorous training in mob management at the Rapid Action Force (RAF) Academy of Public Order in Meerut. This two-week training program focused on equipping law enforcement agencies with enhanced strategies and approaches for handling potentially violent situations.
“They were given a two-week long mob-dispersal course aimed at equipping the law enforcement agency of the most violence-prone Indian Territory with better strategies and approach in handling mobs,” he said.
The officer said these vehicles will be provided to each district so that they can be used during crowd control incidents in the region.
“They were trained to tackle crowds to minimize the rate of injuries among the forces. This includes defensive techniques and apprising them of the importance of protective gear,” he added.
Before 2019, crowd control in Jammu and Kashmir involved public security measures aimed at preventing and managing violent riots. Forces were also using riot control agents like tear gas, chili grenades, and pellet guns (riot shotguns firing pellet cartridges.
Apart from Mob Control Vehicles, the officer said police have also mulled to purchase 5 more X-Ray Baggage Inspection System as per MHA QRs (Q3).
He said it will be incorporated with Threat Image Projection, Tip software facility shall be incorporated in the offered X-ray machine to assist supervisors in testing the operator alertness and training X-ray screeners to improve their ability to identify specific threat objects.
“The system will create a threat object and the same will be superimposed on the monitor screen while a bag is being screened,” he added.
The police officer said all data will be stored on the system for at least two months after it has been downloaded. No individual, regardless of access rights to the Threat Image Projection components, would delete or amend any of threat images Projection data or time i.e. this data on the actual x-ray machine will be, read-only file,” he added.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police have already issued tenders for Mini Remotely Operated Vehicles (mROVs)designed for anti-terrorism operations, and 60 high-tech UAV drones.
In October last year, the J&K government constituted a 6-member Union Territory level Empowered Committee headed by Financial Commissioner (ACS) Home for “deliberating upon modernization plan of Jammu and Kashmir Police under the scheme Assistance to States or UTs and approving it for submission to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Government of India.
It was aimed at strengthening police infrastructure by equipping the police with the required mobility, modern technology, weaponry, communication equipment, etc.
