Shri Satish Golcha, a 1992 batch AGMUT cadre officer, has reportedly been appointed as the new Delhi Police Commissioner. With his more than three decades of experience serving in the police department, he is sure to bring a diverse set of skills and knowledge of policing in Delhi.

Challenges of policing in Delhi are sui generis. Delhi is not only the national capital but borders three states, has a complex societal framework, is not very far from the International Border, it is the diplomatic capital of India with 150 embassies and is a rapidly growing metropolis with both urban and rural pockets. Crimes and corresponding police action, arise from the society in which they operate.

If Delhi Police has to remain truly relevant today, it will have to be ahead of the curve, cognizant of and prepare the society for problems of tomorrow. The explosion of the use of Artificial Intelligence and Deepfakes has brought with itself unique challenges of regulations, which the relevant Cyber Cell of Delhi Police will have to prepare itself for and also fight back. It will be interesting to see how the police facilitates the society’s adoption of AI and Deepfakes, while ensuring it is not misused to commit bank frauds, extortion and copyright violations.

The use of upcoming technology for instance, AI, is directly related to the other development in society i.e. the usage of drones. The Delhi Police must examine is the widespread use and regulation of drones in the capital. We do see drones flying especially during events to capture photos and videos however, given the high security areas and installations in Delhi, there needs to be a comprehensive set of guidelines which are constantly updated to encourage and regulate the usage of drones.

The aspect of drones is directly connected to the issue of traffic and traffic violations. Regulating traffic requires coordination between multiple departments which the Police Commissioner, with all his experience, is certain to do. Effectively allowing drones, subject to security clearances, may be a step in the right direction to solve the problem of traffic.

With all the developments and new age problems that the Delhi Police has to deal with, there can be no doubt that conventional areas of policing will also be an area to work on, for the Commissioner. Unfortunately, heinous offences including murders and rapes as well as offences against properties, continue to be committed across Delhi. Solving these crimes requires a deep understanding of criminal mindset as well as an effective evidence collection, preservation and processing mechanism. The forensics wing of the Delhi Police has to be available at a moment’s notice to reach at the spot of crime so that evidence is collected without delay. Effective prosecution of these cases will be greatly facilitated by adoption of newer technology in the field of evidence collection and preservation. Forensic techniques are relevant not only for heinous offences but also for economic offences for detection of forgery, Fake Indian Currency Notes, etc.

In the background of all these challenges, prevention of these crimes would be much better than curing them. The first and foremost step for prevention is to improve visibility and responsiveness in times of crises. Visibility is enhanced by having more boots on the ground and ensuring their presence, proportionate to the population, at all relevant spots and at all relevant times. If recruitment is delayed, it is proposed that the Police can augment resources by utilizing organisations such as the NCC and Home guards especially to regulate traffic. Nothing improves public confidence more than sheer visibility of women and men in uniform manning junctions and dark areas. Delhi also has the benefit of being able to attract the best talent from all over India which allows sharing of best practices and coming up with unique and well thought through solutions.

Delhi also benefits from not only research and training institutions of the Delhi Police but also organisations such as the Bureau of Police Research and Development which falls under the Government of India. It is proposed that an exclusive periodic training of police officers from all over India should be carried out in the area of AI and Deepfakes, in order to systematically document experiences as well as come up with solutions so that the police is trained to handle these new age challenges in the society. It is also proposed that there should be systematic profiling of crimes which is carried out so that there has some kind of pattern recognition which allows effective crime prevention and better regulation of AI.

The Police Commissioner cannot handle everything on his own- he needs the support of a trained, disciplined and motivated force. This requires not just effective delegation and strengthening of the police force at the field level but also a transparent and efficient mechanism to incentivize well performing police officers.

Officers contributing above and beyond the call of duty, displaying unique skills in investigation and handling manpower issues, should be rewarded in a manner which is suitable and relevant in the context of a modern Delhi.

The incoming Commissioner shoulders enormous responsibility, but also holds the rare opportunity to reshape policing in the national capital—making it more responsive, tech-savvy, and citizen-centric for the 21st century.

-  The author is Senior Advocate, Delhi High Court, New Delhi.