Cops on Games duty will shed khaki for white

The latest item Delhi Police has planned to procure as part of its preparations ahead of the Commonwealth Games  has baffled some of its own officials. According to an order dated August 4, Delhi Police has asked for 667 while-coloured shirts and pants for policemen who will be deployed inside the Games stadia. Till now, for securing the Commonwealth Games Delhi Police has procured several items from modern weapons and bomb-detection kits to new puppies, cameras and even specially-enabled vehicles.

Senior police officers said the tenders will be opened on August 25 and the clothes will have to be delivered within 10 days of the issue of supply order.

But many are wondering what went wrong with the khaki uniform? "The khaki uniform is one of the best-recognized uniforms in the country. It is the pride of a policeman. But it is also well-known that there are apprehensions amongst the public regarding this uniform. The idea is to allow the Games spectators to relax and enjoy the sporting events. If too many of our men in khaki crowd the stadium there might be unnecessary panic which could trigger a security alarm for no reason,'' explained a senior officer at the Delhi Police headquarters.

Not all officers manning the stadia will wear the new uniform though. "We need this attire for only those officers who are positioned at strategic locations inside the stadium. We have calculated our needs and placed the order accordingly,'' said J K Singh, joint commissioner (Commonwealth Games).

Meanwhile, middle-level officers, who will be seen in whites, questioned the rationale behind assigning just one set of clothes for a period of 12 days. Though, the tender document says the quantity of items can be increased or decreased till the delivery is completed.

Senior officers said white was chosen as the colour after much deliberation. "White is a colour of peace. Moreover, it is easy to identify this colour in a crowd. With this, monitoring our own personnel through CCTV cameras will be easier,'' said a senior officer. He added that a special cap is also being designed. "The idea is to track the movement of our men amidst the crowd and send out periodic instructions from the control room,'' added the officer.

The tender document also states that if the supply is found to be of inferior quality as regards the sample approved by the purchase committee, the consignment will be rejected. "The supplier will have to take back the consignment at his own cost and replace it with fresh stock as per approved samples within two days,'' the document reads.