'Tackle terror, detect crime'

Says 66-member Security Council to cops, a recommendation in the 59-point charter about securing the state post-26/11 attacks

Says 66-member Security Council to cops, a recommendation in the 59-point charter about securing the state post-26/11 attacks

The Security Council formed by the state government after the 26/11 terror attacks will scrutinise a 59-point charter thought out by one of its members and send it to the state government for execution.

safety first: A commando takes cover as the Taj Mahal Hotel burns during the 26/11 terror attacks. The Security Council will study and send a report to the state government about the future of security. FILE PIC

Vijay Mukhi, a member of the state Security Council, said, "The points are about the future of security with minimal expenditure and cover technological and non-technological aspects. Mukhi is the president of the Foundation of Internet Security and Technology in India.

The 66-member Security Council includes representatives from the Army, Navy, Air force, Coast Guard, FICCI, Nasscom, IMC, CII, State DG Police, CP Mumbai, Thane and Commissioner (State intelligence) and ministers.

Sushil Jiwarajka, chairperson, FICCI, told MiD DAY, "When we speak of security, it has to be comprehensive and should include financial, IT, infrastructure and human/ personal security. We have covered all areas in the proposed security charter."

The six sub-committees within the council will study the 59 broad security parameters minutely and submit a final feasibility report to the state council.

Recommendations
MiD DAY is in possession of the charter and listed here are some of its major points:

No Special Forces Commandos for VIP duty:u00a0 "Let us not burden our cops with VIP duty, crowd control, flood relief, court work, crime policing, etc. Their focus should be crime detection and tackling terrorism."
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CCTV cover: "Like London, which has over 15,000 CCTV cameras, we should also map Mumbai so that even a minor street theft is detected."

Satellite phone interception: "Software and equipment for Satellite phone interception that should cost about Rs 8 crore should be in place."

Mobile phone forensics lab: "The cops need a lab that can track and decipher content from all types of mobile phones - iPhone, Symbian OS phones, Linux phones, the Palm OS, CDMA phones."

Checking the credentials of every vehicle: "All state vehicles should have a biometric chip that can be identified. Any other vehicle entering the city will then be screened thoroughly."

Response time: "The first 60 minutes during an emergency situation like 26/11 are very crucial. The faster the response time, the lower the dead body count. The 9/11 commission made it very clear that 9/11 happened because there was a failure of imagination. You cannot have forces reach a hostage situation several hours later."

Who is in charge? "One shortcoming during the response after 26/11 was that nobody was aware of who was in charge. In India, every time there is a crisis, we create a new body. This leads to a multiplicity of people in charge. We need a single control centre with state-of-the-art communications, video communications, etc. It needs to be clearly spelt who heads such a scenario."

No live telecast of events like 26/11: "The media needs to ensure that in times of national calamity, it behaves responsibly, so that the enemy does not take undue advantage of the situation. During 26/11, the terrorists were watching the rescue operations led by the NSG and guiding their colleague for a counter attack."

To read the other points mentioned in the charter, go to www.mid-day.com